What is Government?

“The institution that exercises power or authority in controlling

others”

What example of government can you think of?

• School board

• City council

• County board

• Federal government

• Our school

• Our government

Two Major types of government• Dictatorship Iraq

Cuba

Former Soviet Union

China

Hitler’s Germany

• DemocracyUnited States

Canada

England

Germany

Russia

What is a Dictatorship?

An autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by the ideology of an individual, the dictator.

• Limited Freedoms

• Limited Human Rights

• Censorship

• Controlled existence

Representative vs. Direct Democracy

• In a representative government citizens elect officials to represent them in government – A republic

• In a direct democracy voters meet in one place to make laws or decisions

What type of government is the United States?

Three Levels of Government

Levels of Government Ladder

• National Government (Federal)

• State Government

• Local Government

What are problems/issues/needs faced by individuals and society?

• Make a list of at least ten examples relating to the above question.

• One your list is finished determine if it is an issue that is addressed by the government.

• Put a “G” next to those that are addressed by government.

• If the issue is not addressed by the government, how are these handled?