1. 7 th Grade – Government Terms

2. OLIGARCHY Rule by a small group, usually using wealth or force to keep power.

3. Own it… What might it be like to live in a country with this type of government? Think about it… Would you get to vote? Who would your leader be? How would laws be made? _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________

4. THEOCRACY God is the supreme ruler, but government laws are decided by religious leaders based on what God ‘would want’. Example: Iran

5. Own it… What might it be like to live in a country with this type of government? Think about it… Would you get to vote? Who would your leader be? How would laws be made? _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________

6. DEMOCRACY power is held by the people; they elect leaders and rule by majority, or they elect representatives to vote for them (republic).

7. Own it… What might it be like to live in a country with this type of government? Think about it… Would you get to vote? Who would your leader be? How would laws be made? _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________

8. Parliamentary Democracy Democratic form of government where the political party with the most representation in the parliament forms the government. Its leader becomes Prime Minister. Prime Minister David Cameron Parliament chooses Prime Minister Parliament

9. Own it… What might it be like to live in a country with this type of government? Think about it… Would you get to vote? Who would your leader be? How would laws be made? _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________

10. Presidential Democracy Democratic form of government where the head of government is directly elected and legislators are chosen in a different election. Separate branches President Barack Obama Legislature House of Representatives Senate

11. Own it… What might it be like to live in a country with this type of government? Think about it… Would you get to vote? Who would your leader be? How would laws be made? _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________

12. MONARCHY Form of government where a monarch has supreme power, usually for life, and usually by birth; family. Emperor Akihito of Japan Queen Elizabeth II of England

13. Own it… What might it be like to live in a country with this type of government? Think about it… Would you get to vote? Who would your leader be? How would laws be made? _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________

14. DICTATORSHIP Form of government where power is in the hands of one person who has complete control of all government decisions. Power is usually gained or kept with force. Muammar Qaddafi of Libya Saddam Hussein of Iraq Adolf Hitler of Germany Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia Omar Al-Bashir of Sudan

15. SOCIALISM Form of government where government owns important businesses and controls some economic decisions.

16. COMMUNISM Form of government where government owns all businesses and makes all economic decisions.