Types of Government

MonarchyDefinition:

Rule by a single person who inherits power Power can be absolute or limited

Who has power?

King or Queen

People’s RightsLimited monarchy--constitution protects rights

Absolute monarchy--king is dictator

Examples:

Past - King Louis XIV

of France (absolute)

Current - Queen Elizabeth II of England (constitutional)

Map of current monarchies

Red - absolute Green - constitutional Pink - traditional

Dictatorship

Absolute power is concentrated in one person/group

Who has power?

A person/group that takes over by force or charisma

People’s RightsFreedoms can be given or taken away at the leader’s whim.

Examples:

Past - Adolph Hitler of Germany

Current - Kim Jong Il of North

Korea

Communism

System of single-party rule with the end goal of absolute equality

Who has power?

One political party, headed by its leader

Eventually, gov’t should fade away

People’s Rights

Value group rights over individual rights (ex. no private ownership)

Examples:

Past - Soviet Union

Current - Cuba

Theocracy

Religious rule (no separation of church and state)

Who has power?

A person or group that acts as a religious authority

Sometimes the leader is said to be able to communicate with god or is actually a god him/herself.

People’s Rights

Depends on what your holy book says.

Examples:

Past - Ancient Egypt

Current - Vatican

Map of current theocracies

Direct Democracy

The people make all decisions for themselves through majority rule

Who has power?

The majority

People’s Rights

The majority decides which rights are allowed or denied to certain groups

Examples:

Past - Ancient Athens

Current - None(New England town hall mtgs)

Republic

People elect politicians to serve as their representatives in gov’t

Who has power?

Representatives and the people who elect them

People’s Rights

Usually rights are protected by a constitution

Examples:

Past - Ancient Rome

Current - U.S.A.

Map of current republics

Democracy

What the founding fathers really thought about it

Benjamin Franklin

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.

Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!"

Hey guys! What’s for lunch?

What now?

Thomas Jefferson

A democracy is nothing more than mob rule,

where 51% of the people may take away the rights

of the other 49%.

John Adams

That the desires of the majority of the people

are often for injustice and inhumanity against the minority,

is demonstrated by every page of the history of the world.

James Madison

Democracy was the right of the people to choose their own tyrant.

Alexander Hamilton

Real liberty is never found in despotism or

in the extremes of democracy...

The United States is

A DemocracyA Democracy

OMG!

The United States is

A A

Democracy

All people vote on all things

Majority always rules

Rule by the people

All people vote for representatives to do their everyday voting for them

Majority does NOT rule when their will goes against the principles of the Constitution

Rule by elected representatives in different branches

RepublicRepublic

James Garfield

The people are responsible

for the character of their Congress.

If that body be ignorant, reckless and corrupt,

it is because the people tolerate

ignorance, recklessness and corruption.

If it be intelligent, brave and pure,

it is because the people demand these high qualities

to represent them in the national legislature....

What happens when we let the majority vote on the rights of minorities?

What about today?