1. CH. 1-2 FORMS OF GOVERNMENT
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT

2. CLASSIFYING GOVERNMENT
3 ways to classify governments:
1) who can participate
2) the geographic distribution of governmental power within the state
3) the relationship between the legislative (law-making) and the executive (law-executing) branches

3. WHO CAN PARTICIPATE DEMOCRACY
Supreme political authority rests with the people
Gettsyburg Address (1863)—”…Government of the people, by the people, and for the people…”—Abraham Lincoln
Two types of democracy:
1) Direct—will of the people is translated into public policy directly by the people themselves in mass meetings

4. Direct democracy works best in small communities
Few relatively simple government problems
No direct democracy exists at the national level in the world today
Small communities in New England hold town meetings
2) Indirect democracy
AKA representative democracy

5. Representatives are chosen by a small group of people
These select people carry out the day-to-day workings of the government
Elections of representatives are a way for the public to express their views on various topics
People are sovereign in a democracy
DICTATORSHIP
People that rule cannot be held responsible to the will of the people

6. Oldest and most common form of government in history
2 types of dictatorship:
1) autocracy—a single person holds unlimited political power
2) oligarchy—power to rule is held by a small, usually self-appointed elite
All dictatorships are AUTHORITARIAN (absolute and unchallengeable authority)

7. Leading examples:
1) Fascist Italy ( )
2) Nazi Germany ( )
3) Soviet Union ( )
4) People’s Republic of China (1949-present)
Dictatorships appear to be controlled by the people
There are elections but they are tightly controlled

8. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF POWER
UNITARY GOVERNMENT
Described as a centralized government
All powers belong to a single centralized agency
Ex.—Great Britain
Their local governments exist solely to help out the national parliament
Unitary governments are not the same as dictatorships

9. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Powers of the government are divided between a central government and several local governments
DIVISION OF POWERS—setup cannot be changed by either level acting alone
Both levels act directly on the people
In the USA the national government has certain powers and the 50 states have other powers
Other countries with federal governments: Australia, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Switzerland, and more than 20 others

10. CONFEDERATE GOVERNMENT
Alliance of independent states
National government only holds those powers specifically assigned to it by the states—usually defense and foreign affairs
Several states can cooperate in matters of common concern but retain their independent identities
Confederations are rare

11. The European Union is the closet example in the world today
Formed in 1993 with 11 countries
Today, 25 countries with a common currency and foreign and defense policies
In the USA:
--Articles of Confederation ( )
--Confederate States of America ( )

12. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE BRANCHES
PRESIDENTIAL GOVERNMENT
Separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches
Both branches are independent and coequal
The chief executive:
--is chosen independently of the legislature
--holds a fixed term of office
--has a number of significant powers that the legislative branch can’t control

13. Separation of powers spelled out in a written constitution
Each branch given several powers to block the actions of the other branch
The USA is the world’s leading example of presidential government
The USA invented this form of government
PARLIAMENTARY GOVERNMENT
Executive is made up of the prime minister (premier) and that official’s cabinet.

14. The prime minister and cabinet are members of the legislative branch (parliament)
The prime minister is the leader of the majority party
Executive is chosen by and under the direct control of the legislature
PM remains in power as long as they have the confidence of the parliament (vote of no confidence)
Majority of the world’s governments are parliamentary
THE END