Bartlett High School First Quarter CIVICS Target Study Guide
 

 

 

  • TARGET 1. I can compare and contrast the characteristics of the major forms of government in the world.

One way to contrast governments is by how many really rule in the government: one, few, or many:

  • Autocracy. Rule by one.

    • Examples: A dictator, a monarch

      • A weak example: a constitutional monarch, because an elected legislator and a Constitution will weaken the power of the king

  • Oligarchy. Rule by the few

  • Democracy. Rule by the many

    • Examples: Republic, Direct Democracy (Like a New England town)

  • On the issue of freedom-repression. Governments range from having complete control over their people (as usually happens in a dictatorship), to allowing their citizens great freedom (such as a democracy like the U. S. which allows freedom of expression, religion, and has open elections.)

  • Representative government. These forms of government elect representatives, called usually either a parliament or a congress, who have real power to challenge the president or prime minister:

    • democracy,

    • constitutional monarchy,

    • parliamentary democracy,

    • presidential democracy.

    • A direct democracy does not elect representatives because each adult votes on matters of concern to the community, there is no need for a representative.

  • Non-Representative governments. These forms of government do not have free elections of congresses that have real power (they might have congresses as a facade, but with no real power to challenge the leaders...:

    • autocracy,

    • oligarchy,

    • monarchy,

    • dictatorship

  • Level of efficiency.

    • Autocracies and oligarchies can get things done quickly when they need to, because there are few leaders in the system with real power. They do not need to consult with other members of the political system.

    • In democracies, since more people have power and input in the system, it is harder to get things done.  Efficiency in moving quickly on any given issue is not one of the strengths of democracy.