1. Forms of Gov. and Ideals of U.S democracy
Chapter 1 Section 2-3:
Forms of Gov. and Ideals of U.S democracy

2. Forms of Government:
Monarchy: Rule by Monarch (King or Queen), power is inherited, & rulers have unlimited power. Ex: Jordan
Constitutional Monarchy: limits to power of monarch, sometimes has elements of rep. democracy. Ex: United Kingdom
Dictatorship: Single Dictator/group has absolute authority, & uses violence to maintain rule. Ex: Cuba
Totalitarian Regimes: Dictator holds ultimate authority. Gov. tightly controls all aspects of life, no limits on gov. Ex: North Korea

3. Forms of Government:
Oligarchy/Aristocracy: Small group of powerful people make most of the decisions for their own benefit, membership usually bases on wealth, family, or military power. Ex: Ancient Greece, (Sparta)
Theocracy: Rulers claim to represent & be directed by a set of religious ideas, laws are rooted in religious doctrine, Gov. power is unlimited. Ex: Iran
Direct Democracy: Gov. by the people, citizens are the ultimate source of gov. authority, citizens come together to discuss & pass laws & select leaders, works best in small communities Ex: Ancient Greece (Athens)
Republic/ Rep. Democracy: Gov. by the people, citizens are ultimate source of gov. authority, indirect form of democracy, citizens elect leaders to make decisions on their behalf, representatives elected for set terms. Ex: Ancient Rome, United States

4. Organizing National Power:
All governments are born out of unique historical circumstances, developing their own special features and institutions. This is true for Democracy too. Today, most Democracies fall into two types of political systems:
Presidential system:
Advantages: President is elected by the people for fixed terms and separation of powers prevents abuse of authority. President is independent of other branches, and is able to make decisions independently.
Disadvantages: Difficult to remove an unsuitable President, separation of powers may lead to gridlock, branches of gov. may have different agendas, Presidents may become too strong, Many presidential systems have become authoritarian.

5. Parliamentary System:
Advantages: Legislative and Executive branches are often united in purpose, Prime minister directly accountable to parliament. Easier to pass legislation.
Disadvantages: Few checks and balances, Prime minister selected by the legislative branch.. Not by the people, Prime minister lacks independence.

6. Ideals of American Democracy:
An ideal is a conception of something in its most perfect form. Liberty, equality, and self-government are the core ideals of American Democracy that have been with us since the earliest days of our Republic.
Liberty: All people have the ability or freedom to act and think as they choose.
Equality: All people possess the same fundamental moral worth that entitles them to fair treatment.
Self-Government: Ordinary people can rule themselves and do so as political equals.

7. Principles of American Democracy:
Our sense of who we are as Americans is deeply bound to our belief in the core democratic ideals of liberty, equality, and self-government. But this didn’t just happen, it came out of our commitment to the following principles:
Worth of the individual: freedom, self reliance, individual achievement come from individuals left free to pursue their own path.
Rule of Law: John Adams described the U.S. as “a government of laws, not of men.” In other words, there are limits placed on power. ALL men and women are subject to the rule of law and held accountable.

8. Principles of American Democracy:
Majority Rule, Minority Rights: A basic principle of democracy is that decisions are made by majority rule, meaning that a candidate wins an election by getting a majority of the votes. But the founders wanted to check that power from becoming a “tyranny of the majority” so they ensured that a balance would be struck to protect the rights of the minority of voters. This is a big part of maintaining a liberal democracy.
Compromise: The ability of two groups to give up some of their demands to come to an agreement. This is necessary to keep the political process moving.

9. Principles of American Democracy:
Citizen Participation: To be a successful self government, citizens must participate. At the very least they must be informed. The strongest democracies have an informed populace that speaks their minds, debates issues, and holds their leaders accountable.
Free Enterprise: This allows for people and businesses to make their own economic choices about how best to produce, distribute, and exchange goods and services with limited interference from the government. The government has intervened on occasion by creating consumer protection laws and agencies, but the U.S. holds true to the principles of free enterprise.