Government-Days 4 and 5
Objectives:
SS.GOV.10.05.a:
Compare unitary, confederate, and federal systems of government and how each
assists or impedes the functioning of government
SS.Gov.10.05.b:
Analyze the characteristics of different forms of government
SS.GOV.10.05c:
Compare the characteristics of a democratic and an authoritarian government
SS.GOV.10.05.d:
Compare parliamentary and presidential democracies
SS.GOV.10.04a:
Analyze the relationship between government authority and maintaining order
under the rule of law
Today we
will:
1.
Warm-up
2.
Go over homework
3.
Discuss systems of government (reading
activity)
4.
“Create a government” activity
5.
Analyze presidential and parliamentary
democracies
6.
Discuss US concept of democracy
Classwork: Friday through Monday, @FCPS
Categories of
Governments
Democratic vs. Authoritarian
Authoritarian governments are those
in which all power lies in the hands of one person or a small elite
(select) group. Personal freedom is limited through strict use of police power.
Schools and religious groups are carefully controlled. Free speech is not
tolerated (allowed). The radio, press and television systems are typically
government-run. The government has usually come to power as a result of a revolution, or by a coup d'etat, usually by
military force. The economic system is usually controlled by the
government as are the factors of production:
land, labor & capital. Authoritarian forms of government
include: Totalitarian Dictatorship,
Oligarchy and Absolute Monarchy.
Democracy is government by consent--the consent of the citizens. In a democratic society, the people have sovereignty; ultimate power resides
with them. Democracies have
elections in which choices can be made, a political party system,
constitutional and legal protection of rights
and liberties, and government with limited
power. Government is based on the people's free expression of opinions. All
people are supposed to be treated equally
under the law. They have rights that cannot be taken away by government.
Underlying these basic ideas are the beliefs that governments are created by
people, should govern with the consent
of the governed, and that people have the right to change the
government. The economic system usually
is free from control of the government (at least in part). These forms include: Direct
and Representative Democracy,
Constitutional Monarchy.
Excerpted from: SIRS Knowledge Source
Directions: Read the
list of characteristics below, and write the number on the correct line on the diagram that follows.
1. China cracks down on Olympic protesters
2. Cuba censors press
3. Americans elect new President
4. Saudi Royal family quick to cut oil production
5. Japanese Parliament votes to shorten work day
6. Bill debated in Congress for 6 months
7. North Korean leader’s name is only one on ballot
8. Germany compromises to elect Chancellor
9. Parliament restricts power of the Queen
10. Swiss citizens vote on new school bond
11. Zimbabwe’s leader uses military to stay in power
12. Author publishes book criticizing President
13. Democrats and Republicans to choose Presidential Nominees
14. Sudanese government bans all political parties
15. Iran’s government censored cell phone use during election
Democracy:
Authoritarian:
Comparing
Political Systems/Types of Government
Although
every country’s political system may
operate differently, all political systems can be placed in two separate
categories: Democratic or Authoritarian. Democratic systems are based on a limited
form of government where the people
consent to be governed and the government’s protection of individual rights; these systems
include: Direct Democracy, Representative
Democracy, and Constitutional
Monarchy. Authoritarian systems are unlimited forms of government where there
are no limits on the power of the leader(s), power is usually taken and kept
through the use of force, and individual
rights are not protected; these systems include: Absolute
Monarchy, Oligarchy and Totalitarian Dictatorship.
Authoritarian
Governments:
Absolute monarchy
is rule by one person who claims power from inheritance which means it is
passed down from one family member to another, or as God has picked them to
rule. For thousands of years, rule by monarchs
(kings or queens) was the common form of government. The monarch is often the head of the state
and of the official religion. Saudi Arabia and Jordan are both examples of
absolute monarchs.
Oligarchy
means rule by the few. A small group governs the nation. Oligarchs may be military leaders, political party leaders, wealthy business owners or any other small
group that gains control of government. In oligarchies, one individual may
officially lead the country, but political power and decision making is in the
hands of the group. For example, in
China today, there is a leader known as the Premier, however, the Communist
Party actually runs the country.
Dictatorship
is rule by an individual who holds complete, or totalitarian, control over the government. Germany
under Hitler, Italy under
Mussolini, and Franco's Spain were dictatorships.
In dictatorships, there may be some
characteristics of democracy, but
they are meaningless. Elections are faked, and citizens are required to vote
without having any real choice between parties or leaders. Dictators usually surround themselves with loyal followers. The
state and the dictator are one and the same. In some cases, a leader who
originally represented an oligarchy
becomes a dictator when he or she
gains enough personal power to be unchallenged. Joseph Stalin of the Soviet
Union and Mao Zedong of China became dictators when they gained total control
of the Communist parties that put them in power. Current examples include Kim Jong Un of North
Korea, and Raul Castro of Cuba.
Democratic Governments:
Direct
democracy exists when the citizens vote directly on government
decisions. In this system, the majority vote of the citizens
determines all government decisions. Direct democracy is still practiced in
some small New England towns as well as in certain Swiss cantons (counties).
Elements of direct democracy are
also found in states where citizens can propose, or start legislation.
Representative
Democracy is the more usual form of democratic government
today. In this system, elected legislators represent the people in making laws
and deciding public issues. These lawmakers are responsible to the people and
may be removed from office through regular elections. A government in which
people elect representatives is known as a republic.
This is the system that we use in the United States. Voters select through elections who they wish
to represent them at each level of government.
Constitutional Monarchy is the limited type
of Monarchy where the ruler’s power
is limited by a Constitution. The ruler usually has to consult an elected assembly of the people or
religious leaders. This type of
government evolved in England. Starting
with the Magna Carta, the English monarch’s power has been limited. Overtime a representative assembly evolved
and gained power over the Monarch. Today, England’s monarch has little power; most power resides in the elected body
known as Parliament.
Summarizing Political Systems/Types of Government
Directions: Using the information provided, complete the
chart below.
DEMOCRATIC
|
Form of Government
|
What is it?
|
Advantages
|
Disadvantages
|
Direct
Democracy
|
|
|
|
Representative
Democracy
|
|
|
|
Constitutional
Monarchy
|
|
|
|
  AUTHORITARIAN
|
Absolute
Monarchy
|
|
|
|
Oligarchy
|
|
|
|
Totalitarian
Dictatorship
|
|
|
|
Applying Political Systems/Types of
Government
Directions: Read each item below and decide
which Political System it best represents
(Direct Democracy,
Representative Democracy, Constitutional Monarchy, Absolute Monarchy,
Oligarchy, Totalitarian Dictatorship)
1. __________________ One person rules, usually
a military leader.
2. __________________ Power is inherited, the
leader has all the power.
3. __________________ A small group of people
has the power.
4. __________________ In Great Britain
Parliament and the Queen share power.
5. __________________ In Cuba a military leader
seized all the power.
6. __________________ A single royal family
rules like Saudi Arabia.
7. __________________ The United States where
elected officials make decisions for the people.
8. __________________ Germany held elections for
the legislature.
9. __________________ Power is inherited, but
shared with an elected legislature.
10. _________________ One political party rules
as a group such as the Communist party in China.
11. _________________ The ruler believes they
have the right to rule from God.
12. _________________ The power of the monarch is
limited by a legislative branch.
13. _________________ The people vote on all
government decisions.
14. _________________ Free and open elections.
FORMS OF GOVERNMENT
Directions:
Read the information below and complete the activities that follow.
There are
three basic forms of government that characterize the way power is distributed
or divided within a country: unitary, federal and confederate. A country's size often influences how it
divides political power. In large countries, like the United States, Canada,
Australia, and Russia, power
is shared between the central government and the governments of its
regions: states, provinces or republics.
This sharing of power is called a Federal
System.
Many small
countries, such as England, France and
other European countries have Unitary Systems
of government in which the central government exercises most political
power.
Often small
countries or political areas (states, regions, provinces) will ally (become
friends) with one another for the purpose of group defense and trade. This alliance form of government is known as
a confederate system. In this system each political area or country
remains independent or sovereign,
but agrees to give up some power to a national government to protect them and
promote trade.
The United States
has experienced all three systems of government in our history. As a colony under King George III, the United
States (or at that time American Colonies) had a unitary system of government.
In this system the King and Parliament in Britain made decisions for the
colonies. Although the colonists had
representative assemblies, their power was limited by the King and
Parliament. Royal Governors were
appointed by the king, not elected by the colonists.
When the United States first broke from Great Britain a representative democracy was created
based on the confederate system. Under this system of government there was a
weak national government for the purpose of national defense, dealing with foreign countries and promoting trade, and strong state governments
that were responsible for making most of the government decisions. The national government did not have the
power to tax, enforce laws or settle disagreements between the states. This caused many problems because the states
acted in their own best interest and often had conflicts with one another. Trade became difficult because of a difference
in tariffs (taxes on imported
goods), different currencies (money), and state laws; this caused the economy
to break down. A meeting of state
delegates was held in Annapolis,
Maryland to try and fix the
problem; however, the group decided that a new Constitution needed to be written.
In 1783
delegates met in Philadelphia to create this new Constitution; a federal
system was created to distribute power between the states and national
government. The federal system provided for power to be shared between the national
and state governments, with the national government having supremacy (power) over the states.
The national government was given more power than it had under the confederate system, including the power
to tax. Many states were unhappy with
the federal system; afraid that the federal (national) government would
become too powerful.
Applying Forms of Government
Directions: Using the information from the previous page complete
the chart below.
Form of Government/Description
|
Advantages
|
Disadvantages
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Directions:
Identify the form of Government for each of the following
characteristics; write the correct term in the space provided.
1. ____________________________ Strong
central government makes all decisions
3. ____________________________ Power is
shared between national and state governments
4. ____________________________ Often
authoritarian
5. ____________________________ Weak or no
central government
6. ____________________________ Created
mostly for trade and defense purposes
7. ____________________________ Absolute
monarchies
8. ____________________________
Representative Democracies
9. ____________________________ Head of
state has complete control over the military
10. ____________________________ Most power
is retained (kept) by the states
11. ____________________________ The
colonies under the rule of King George III
12. ____________________________ The
newly free United States
under the Articles of Confederation
13. ____________________________ The United States
as it exists under the Constitution
14. ____________________________ Decision
making process is very quick
15. ____________________________
Can be very unstable
