Highlights: Comparing Forms of Government SS.7.C.3.1 Compare different forms of government (direct democracy, representative democracy, socialism, communism, monarch, oligarchy, autocracy). Terri Susan Fine, Ph.D. Content Specialist, Florida Joint Center for Citizenship

Comparing Forms of Government There are multiple factors that contribute to how we understand governments. One approach is to consider the form of government which is also understood as the structure of government. All governments, no matter their structure (or form) enjoy three powers (legislative, executive, judicial). It is the way that those powers are organized that determines the form of government. In the United States, for example, the U.S. Constitution begins with “we the people” which speaks to the notion that the U.S. is a democracy. However, as the U.S. Constitution outlines a system of representation through which the people rule, it is known as a republic, or a representative democracy. Several factors impact the form of government that a nation will adopt; these include, but are not limited to, the nation’s history, culture, values, beliefs, political participation, geography, location, international relations, domestic concerns and past practices.

Forms of Government: Direct Democracy and Representative Democracy Form of Government Explanation Example Direct Democracy Direct democracy represents decisions where citizens pass laws directly, without using representatives. Direct democracy is practiced through the “initiative”, which allows citizens to place proposals on the ballot that become law if a majority of the electorate votes in favor. The referendum is a form of initiative where voters may accept or reject proposals/laws made by their representatives but does not permit citizens to make their own proposals. Switzerland Florida’s constitutional amendment process Representative Democracy A representative democracy (also known as a republic) is an independent government ruled by representatives of the citizens of a nation. In representative democracies, all citizens have the right to vote and the government's power is limited by a constitution. Ghana

Forms of Government: Socialism and Communism Form of Government Explanation Example Socialism (see Benchmark 2.8) A socialist form of government is a government where most property and resources are owned or controlled by the public or the government. Socialism usually refers to an economic system based on a property based economy protected by the government but where the government takes an active role in the economy and is responsible for broad economic planning in the long term. Venezuela Communism Communism is a form of government where all property is owned by the community as a whole and where all people are entitled to equal social and economic status. The ideas of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels suggest that all history can be explained in terms of class struggles. Communism minimizes the class struggle because every person has an equal economic share. Cuba

Forms of Government: Monarchy and Oligarchy Form of Government Explanation Example Monarchy In a monarchy, power is held by a single person whose right to rule is based on birth (that person is born into a family of kings and queens) and who has the power to remain in office for life. The power of a monarch may vary; there are absolute monarchies (a type of autocracy) and constitutional monarchies, where the monarch is strongly limited by a constitution that outlines a rule of law. Spain (constitutional monarchy) Brunei (absolute monarchy) Oligarchy Oligarchy means the rule of the few, and those few are generally the rich in the society. People who rule in oligarchies may be elected, born into their positions, or may have a certain amount of money or land which entitles them to be a part of the ruling group.   Oligarchies are often controlled by a few powerful families whose children are raised and taught to inherit the power of the oligarchy, often at some sort of expense to those who are governed. Iran

Forms of Government: Autocracy Form of Government Explanation Example Autocracy Autocracy is a form of government where one person has unlimited power. One form of an autocracy is a dictatorship where a military leader secures power often through violent means. Another form of autocracy is an absolute monarchy where a person becomes the sole leader of a country by being born into a family of rulers. Dictators can come to power in a variety of ways. They can be elected, be appointed by the ruling party, or inherit their position. Some modern dictators take power using violence and are supported by the military. North Korea