3 Forms of Government

AUTOCRACYOLIGARCHY

DEMOCRACY

AUTOCRACY

BENITO MUSSOLINI

RULE BY ONE

EXAMPLE 1: TOTALITARIAN DICTATORSHIP

FORCE THEORY

EXAMPLE 2: ABSOLUTE MONARCHY

DIVINE RIGHT THEORY

OLIGARCHY RULE BY FEW

EXAMPLE: COMMUNIST GOV’T OF CHINA

- MOST OLIGARCHIES CLAIM TO HAVE RULE FOR THE PEOPLE, BUT IN REALITY, VERY FEW HAVE POWER.

Example: Theocracy- a small group of religious officials run the government.

Example: Ancient Rome- a group of Senators ran the government

DEMOCRACY

RULE BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE

EXAMPLE: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

GREEK

DEMOS- people

KRATIA- rule

Republic- A form of government in which power resides in the people

DIRECT DEMOCRACY

The people are the gov’t. They create and pass laws*Nowhere does this exist in its true form*

Representative Democracy

The people vote for delegates to represent them in government.

CONGRESS

CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY

EXAMPLE: GREAT BRITAIN

MONARCHS SHARE POWER W/ ELECTED LEGISLATURES OR SERVE MAINLY AS THE CEREMONIAL LEADERS OF THEIR GOV’T

Queen Elizabeth II

CHARACTERISTICS OF DEMOCRACY

Individual LibertyMajority Rule

w/ Minority Rights

FreeElections

Competing Political Parties

Compromise

ANARCHY

What would happen ifwe had a total lack of government (anarchy)?

Anarchy is not a form of gov’t, it is a lack of gov’t.