Participation
Political authority rests with the people, and government is conducted only by the consent of the people.
What is a democracy?
A centralized government where all powers are held by a central agency, which may then create local units of government.
What is a unitary government?
In this system of government, the executive and legislative branches are completely separate and independent of one another.
What is a presidential government?
A form of government where a single person, such as a king or queen, rules.
What is a monarchy?
A system where direct democracy only really works well because of this environmental factor.
What is a small community?
A form of democracy where the will of the people is made public law directly by the people themselves in mass meetings.
What is a direct democracy (or pure democracy)?
A system where power is divided between a central government and several local governments, requiring both to agree to make changes.
What is a federal government?
In a presidential system, the chief executive (the president) holds office for this length of time and has broad powers not subject to legislative control.
What is a fixed term?
In a monarchy, leadership position is usually acquired through this method rather than an election.
What is inheritance (or being an inherited position)?
Historical figures like Joseph Stalin are used on the presentation slides to exemplify this type of absolute rule.
What is a dictatorship?
A form of democracy where a small group of people chosen by the citizens act as representatives to express the popular will.
What is an indirect democracy (or representative democracy)?
An alliance of independent states where a central organization only handles matters assigned to it, usually limited to defense and trade.
What is a confederation (or confederate government)?
In this system, the executive branch is made up of a prime minister (or premier) and their official cabinet.
What is a parliamentary government?
In the past, monarchies often held total, unchecked power, which is specifically known by this term.
What is an absolute monarchy?
King Charles III is highlighted in the presentation as a modern example of this specific type of monarch.
What is a constitutional monarch?
A government where those who rule hold absolute and unchallengeable authority over the people and hold no responsibility to their will.
What is a dictatorship?
In this distribution type, most power belongs to regional or local governments, while the central government has only limited power.
What is a confederation (or confederate government)?
Unlike a presidential system, a prime minister in a parliamentary system must be a member of this branch.
What is the legislative branch (or Parliament / majority party)?
Today, most monarchies share power with an elected parliament and serve a role that is often merely ceremonial, known as this type of monarchy.
What is a constitutional monarchy?
According to the introductory slides, to properly distinguish governments from one another, we must examine participation, geographic distribution, and the relationship between these two branches.
What are the legislative and executive branches?
A dictatorship in which a single person holds unlimited political power.
What is an autocracy?
Countries like the United Kingdom, France, and Sweden are classic examples used on the slides to illustrate these two opposing geographic systems.
What are unitary and confederation systems?
Because the prime minister is chosen from the majority party of Parliament, they are subject to this kind of direct legislative oversight and control.
What is direct control?
A dictatorship where the power to rule is held by a small, usually self-appointed elite group.
What is an oligarchy?
Famous American historical imagery, such as voting boxes and the caption "your government is your servant, not your master," is used to describe the ideals of this system.
What is a democracy (or American democracy)?