Types of Governments

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Types of Governments

• World and U.S. Studies

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There are six types of governments you need to
know

1. Absolute monarchy
2. Constitutional monarchy
3. Parliamentary democracy
4. Presidential democracy
5. Theocracies
6. Dictatorships

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1. Absolute Monarchy

• Absolute monarchy is an idealized form of
  government, a monarchy where the ruler has the
  power to rule their country and citizens freely
  with no laws or legally-organized direct
  opposition telling the monarchy what to do.
• In order of importance
• 1. King
• 2. People

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Kings and Queens

• Get their power through birthright or heredity.
• Raised to become head of state.
• Highly educated and cultured
• Louis XIV of France was an absolute monarch.
  (1681-1715)

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Todays absolute monarchies

• 3. Saudi Arabia

• 1. Swaziland
• Vatican City

• 4. Oman

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2. Constitutional Monarchies

• A constitutional monarchy is a political system
  in which the head of state is a king or queen
  ruling to the extent allowed by a constitution.
• In order of importance
• 1. The constitution
• 2. King or Queen
• 3. People

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The biggest is

• United Kingdom with the commonwealth nations of
• New Zealand
• Canada
• Jamaica
• Queen Elizabeth II is the monarch

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Other constitutional monarchies
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3. Parliamentary democracy

• This political system is based on the idea that
  Parliament is supreme.
• The people choose representatives at regular
  elections

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Who has this?

• Australia
• The people elect the parliament. Then Parliament
  makes the laws and decisions for the country.
• Then Parliament elects a president.

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4. Presidential democracy

• The U.S.A.
• The people elect the president to a 4 year term.
• Congress is elected separately.
• All branches of government work together within a
  system of checks and balances.

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Is this good?

• It is effective, everyone can be heard. Every
  voice counts.
• It is ineffective, it takes time to hear all
  points of views, discuss and vote.

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5. Theocracy

• A government by a god or priests.

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Who has it?

• In the contemporary world, Iran and Afghanistan
  are considered theocracies because ultimate
  political authority in each is in the hands of
  religious leaders and a fundamentalist regime
  whose purpose is to organize society under
  religious law.

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6. Dictatorship

• A form of government in which absolute power is
  concentrated in a dictator.
• What is a dictator - a ruler who is unconstrained
  by law and usually rules with terror.
• A dictator can do what he wants, when he wants to
  whomever he wants. If you question a dictators
  rule you can be killed.

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• The World's Worst Current Day Dictators
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• Kim Jong-il (North Korea)
• King Fahd and Prince Abdullah (Saudi Arabia)
• Charles Taylor (Liberia)
• Than Shwe (former Burma, now Myanmar)
• Teodoro Obiang Nguema (Equatorial Guinea)
• Saparmurat Niyazov (Turkmenistan)
• Muammar Gaddafi (Libya)
• Fidel Castro (Cuba)
• Alexander Lukashenko (Belarus)
• Robert Mugabe (Zimbabwe)

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What is better?

• There can be pros and cons for all forms of
  government.
• Try to name one pro and one con for
• 1. absolute monarchy
• 2. constitutional monarchy
• 3. parliamentary democracy
• 4. presidential democracy
• 5. theocracy
• 6. dictatorship
• Now lets rate the forms of government
• 1best 6worse