Political Systems We hang the petty thieves & appoint the great ones to public office. ~Aesop.

Political Systems

We hang the petty thieves & appoint the great ones to public

office. ~Aesop

Characteristics of a Country

1. A clearly defined territory- borders (natural & man made).

2. A permanent population.3. Sovereignty- freedom from

outside control.4. A government.

Purposes of Government

• Establish Justice • Insure Domestic

Tranquility • Provide for the

Common Defense • Promote the General

Welfare • Secure the Blessings

of the Liberty

• Laws & punishments are fair & reasonable.

• Protect citizens from other citizens.

• Protect the country from outside forces.

• Provide services for the citizens' benefit.

• Protect citizens’ rights including life, liberty, & the pursuit of happiness.

Government Authority

Autocracy- authority to rule belongs to a single individual.Monarchy

• An emperor, king, or queen holds the supreme powers of government.

• Monarchs achieve their position of authority through inheritance.

• Absolute monarchs have complete & unlimited power to rule their people.

• Rare today- Vatican City, Brunei, Swaziland, Saudi Arabia, & Oman


Dictatorship• The leader achieves & maintains authority by

the ruthless use of police or military power. • Totalitarian dictators seek to control all aspects

of social & economic life. • Government is not responsible to the people,

& the people have no power to limit ruler’s actions.

• May try to give the appearance of control by the people, i.e. elections with only one candidate.

• Any political opposition is suppressed, usually with violence.

• Examples: Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Kim Jong Un.


Oligarchy• Governmental power rests with a small elite

segment of society.• The ruling group is distinguished by factors like

social position, wealth, military, or religion.• There may be a national assembly

representing the people. However, it usually only approves policies & decisions already made by leaders.

• As in a dictatorship, oligarchies usually suppress all political opposition.

• Communist China, South Africa under Apartheid, Aristocracy in Europe, Myanmar.


Democracy- people hold power, leaders rule with consent of the people– Republic

• A representative democracy where the people elect representatives who conduct government business.

• Representatives are responsible to the people.

• An assembly of representatives is called a legislature, a congress, a parliament, etc.

• The head of state, a president or Prime Minister, is elected for a specific term to carry out laws.

• Most democratic countries are republics.


Constitutional Monarchy• The monarch is legally restricted within the

boundaries of a constitution.• An elected official is the head of government, while

the monarch serves as the symbolic head of state. • “A sovereign who reigns but does not rule.” • The authority to make & pass laws resides with an

elected assembly, not with the monarch.• The monarch’s role is often ceremonial, but some

wield executive power.– Ceremonial: United Kingdom, Sweden, Japan – Executive: Jordan, Thailand, Tonga

Government Structures

Unitary• The central government holds authority over &

makes decisions for the local governments.• The central government directs policy decisions to

local governments to be carried out. • Creates a uniform set of policies and laws.• Works well for small, compact countries.


Federal System• A union of partially self-governing states or

regions under a central government.• Divides powers of government between the

central & local governments. • Each level of government has sovereignty in

certain areas.• Creates a complex system of local & national

laws.• Works well for large, expansive countries.

Unitary & Federal


Confederation • A loose union of independent political units.• The smaller political units keep most of their

sovereignty & give the central government only limited powers.

• Confederations are established for dealing with critical issues like defense, common currency etc.

• Allows several states to cooperate in common concerns but retain their separate identities.

• Leaves the central government restricted in its abilities.

• Works well for countries with very diverse populations or regions: Switzerland, European Union.

Political Systems We hang the petty thieves & appoint the great ones to public office. ~Aesop.

Documents

Transcript of Political Systems We hang the petty thieves & appoint the great ones to public office. ~Aesop.