Types of Governments

Transcript Types of Governments

US Government

Types of Government

 Countries can have a variety of political systems.

 They include:  Direct Democracy  Representative Government  Monarchy  Autocracy (Dictatorship)  Oligarchy

Government

Main job is to:  1. Maintain social order  2. Provide public services  3. National security and common defense  4. Support and create an economic system What is the single fundamental purpose of a government?

Serve the public good and well being of society

Direct Democracy

 Sometimes called “pure democracy”  People gathered to vote on laws in ancient Athens and Rome.

 Very difficult to do in large numbers. People may not know much about the issues they vote on.

 States and towns in the U.S. use ballot questions to get the public’s vote on important issues.

Principles necessary for a democracy to exist (according to Robert Dahl)…..

Equality in voting…(Your vote is no more important than mine) Effective Participation (adequate and equal opportunity) Enlightened understanding (Free market for speech, press, ideas, etc) Citizen Control of policy agenda Inclusion: extend rights

Can uneducated/poor people be trusted?

 Direct Democracy – citizens create/vote on laws  Problems 1. Impractical for reasons of time, expertise  How do you get 300 million people to vote multiple times per day on issues they no nothing about?

2. Masses of people make unwise decisions based on emotions (Hitler was elected)  “The masses are turbulent and changing and seldom judge or determine right.” -Alexander Hamilton

Representative Democracy (Republic)  Citizens elect representatives  Gov’t MEDIATES popular views  “Will of the people” ≠ “Common interest”  EX. Lower gas prices, minority rights  Reps are educated on issues at hand  Prevents fast, sweeping change  Minority rights more likely to be protected

Types of Democracy

Parliamentary Democracy

 elected Parliament  Parliament: an elected group of people that makes laws; often, power is shared among several political parties

Parliamentary Republic

 Parliament: an elected group of people that makes laws; has an elected president/leader

Parliamentary Monarchy

 Parliament: an elected group of people that makes laws; has a monarch as a leader with no real power.

Representative Government

    Often called a “republic.” The people elect representatives to make the laws.

Citizens must pay attention to vote smartly, but do not need to be experts on every law.

Examples are U.S, Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom U.S. House of Representatives

Federal Republic

 A country that has no monarch  The head of the country is usually an elected president.

 Citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf  Shares power with national and local authorities.

Democracy vs. Republic

 What is the difference between a democracy and a republic?

Democracy vs. Republic

 Democracy: the people directly vote for what they want.

 Republic: the people vote for representatives to make laws on their behalf.

Is the United States a democracy or republic? Why?

Monarchy

    Ruler inherits the throne by birth.

Citizens do not have a right to decide laws.

Fewer monarchies in the last 100 years. Jordan, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia are examples.

Others, such as United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, and Japan, are now democracies with monarch as ceremonial leader. Jordan’s King Abdullah

Autocracy: (Dictatorship)

 One person or one party holds total power to govern.

 Citizens have few rights and don’t make decisions.

 Dictators sometimes call themselves “president” and hold elections, but it is just for show because no one else is allowed to run.

 Examples: Cuba, North Korea, Libya, Egypt Iraq’s Former Dictator Saddam Hussein

How do dictators keep power?

    Dictators can use their armies to arrest or attack protesters.

Dictators often promise a better life, especially for the poor.

Many countries have never had democracy, so they are used to having dictators.

Some dictators get support from other countries, such as Soviet Union’s support for Fidel Castro in Cuba.

Fidel Castro of Cuba

Government

 What is the main responsibility of a government?

Oligarchy (Most Popular)

Forms of Government:

representative democracy

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direct democracy

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SOUTH AFRICA

From 1948-1994, official policy in South Africa gave white people all the political power. Even though the majority of South Africans were black, non-whites could not influence government. White South Africans elected representatives to sit in a lawmaking body.

Forms of Government:

oligarchy

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representative democracy

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NORTH KOREA

One man leads North Korea and controls its government. He also controls its ruling political party. The ruling party chooses candidates for an Assembly, and citizens vote. The candidates do not have opponents, so citizens have no choices.

Form of Government:

dictatorship

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SAUDI ARABIA

Saudi Arabia is led by a king. The king appoints a Council of Ministers to help govern, but there are no elections. Saudi Arabia’s Basic Law states that the country’s constitution is the Islamic holy book the Qur’an and other religious traditions.

Forms of Government:

monarchy

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theocracy

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DENMARK

The people of Denmark elect representatives to sit in Parliament, a lawmaking body. The Queen of Denmark heads the country, but she only has a small role in government. The government is led by a Prime Minister, who is appointed from among the elected representatives.

Forms of Government:

monarchy

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representative democracy

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BRAZIL

Brazil is led by a president who is elected by the citizens. Citizens in Brazil elect a new president every four years. Citizens also elect representatives to serve in two different legislative bodies.

Form of Government:

representative democracy

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True or False?

True or False?

1. A monarchy can be like a dictatorship or it can be part of a democracy.

2. A dictatorship can also be a democracy.

 m True False m  True False Example or Reason:

Denmark / Saudi Arabia Citizens get no say in a dictatorship

3. A democracy can have both representative and direct characteristics at the same time.

 m True False Example or Reason:

Switzerland

4. An oligarchy can include representative democracy.

m True False Example or Reason:

In South Africa, some got to vote

5. A government can be both a monarchy and an anarchy at the same time.

m  True False 6. Theocracy can co-exist with monarchy.

m True False 7. Theocracy can co-exist with democracy.

8. An oligarchy can be like a dictatorship.

m True False m True False Example or Reason:

Monarchy and anarchy are opposites!

Example or Reason:

Saudi Arabia

Example or Reason:

In Iran, citizens vote Under a junta, citizens often have few rights

Types of Economics

What is economics?

 The study of how goods and services are produced, distributed, and consumed.

 The people who make goods or services are called “producers.”  The people who buy goods or services are called “consumers.”

Three Economic Systems

Mixed Socialism (Highly Controlled ) Communism (Little Control ) Capitalism

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Capitalism

    Sometimes called “market economy.” Ex. U.S.A.

People own companies and decide what to produce to make consumers happy.

Business owners can earn big profits or can lose their money if a business fails.

Some businesses sell stock to get more capital to invest.

New York Stock Exchange

Understanding Free Markets or Capitalism 

CAPITALISM

most of the means of production and distribution are privately owned and operated for profit. No country is purely capitalist, is an economic system in which all or but the FOUNDATION OF THE U.S. IS CAPITALISM.

 Capitalism is the foundation for the economics of England, Canada, Australia, and most developed nations.

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Free-Market/Capitalism

In a free-market system, decisions about what to produce and in what quantities are made by THE MARKET (not the government). Therefore, Consumers send signals to producers about what to make, how many, and so on through their buying behavior.

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How Free Markets Work

People under free-market capitalism have four basic rights: 1.

Private Property individuals can buy, sell, own property and pass it on.

Profit/Ownership right keep profits.

Freedom of Competition right to compete within government guidelines.

Freedom of Choice people can choose where they live, work and what they do

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Limits of Free-Markets

• • • •

Inequality of Wealth- Causes National & World Tension Greed Compromises Ethics Potential Environmental Damage Limitations Push Country towards Socialism = Government Regulation

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Command Economy

Workers arrive at a factory in the old Soviet Union in 1929.

 The government makes economic decisions about what should be produced, how much it should cost.

 Two types of command economies are socialism and communism.

Command Economies

  In socialism, the government runs some industries, such as oil, and uses profits to pay for health care, education. Ex. Venezuela In communism, the government runs all industries, owns all property, sets wages, and prices, and people must do as they are told. Ex. North Korea Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez

Socialism –

is an economic system based on the premise that basic industries should be owned or controlled by the gov’t. so that resources my be more evenly distributed. Example: Denmark & Netherlands.

• • • •

Private & Public Ownership Some Choices are Limited Creates Social Equality Reduces Individual Incentive Brain Drain

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Industrialized Nations’ Tax Rate

U.S.

Austria/Japan Italy Canada Germany Spain/Sweden France Finland Denmark 0% Source:

Parade Magazine, Apr. 12, 1998.

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

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Communism –

is an economic and political system in which the Government makes almost all economic decision and owns all the factors of production. Example: North Korea & Cuba. Problem: Gov’t has no way to know what to produce because prices don’t reflect supply/demand!

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State or Gov’t ownership of factors of production.

Central Planning/Controlled Economy Managers = Mandatory Party Membership

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Communism vs. Capitalism

  Capitalists say that people have no reason to do a good job in communism because everyone gets the same pay. Products are boring and poorly made.

Communists say that capitalism is unfair to the poor because people at the top of the company get rich while workers get low wages. They also say capitalists wipe out little companies and destroy the environment to get money.

Communism vs. Capitalism

 The Cold War from 1945 1991 between U.S. and Soviet Union was based on getting nations to line up on the communist side or capitalist side.

 Today Russia allows some capitalism.

 Communist China also allows some capitalism.

Factory workers in China

Putting Politics & Economics Together

   Communist countries have been dictatorships in which leaders have tried to control all aspects of the country.

But not all dictators are Communists. Some want capitalist companies to come in and create jobs Ex. Batista in Cuba before Castro.

Democracies are sometimes capitalist and sometimes socialist. Voters may elect a leader who promises to help the poor through socialism. Or voters may prefer capitalism as a way to create more jobs.