Forms of Government

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Forms of Government

• CHV20

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What is a government?

• Make and enforce decisions that affect conduct
  within the group
• The governing body of a nation, state, or
  community.
• The system by which a nation, state, or community
  is governed

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Dictatorship

• -government that has seized power by force (often
  through military coup)
• -power in the hands of one individual
• -leader can make quick decisions (does not worry
  about being re-elected)
• -the leader does not always act in the best
  interest of its people

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Drawbacks

• Limited individual rights
• Usually dependent on support of military
• No debate or discussion
• Dependent on single individual
• No free press no opposition parties
• Peoples opinions are ignored
• Any laws can be created
• Ideas are limited to one person

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Benefits

• Organized and controlled
• Efficient (sometimes ruthlessly so)
• No public protests, riots
• United (people may be loyal since there is no
  competition)

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• Examples
• Castro's Cuba
• Hitler's Germany
• Mussolini's Italy
• Franco's Spain
• North Korea

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Monarchy

• -government by a single ruler (king/queen,
  emperor)
• -inherited power
• -decision-making is mostly by the ruler rather
  than the people
• -no protection for the people for corrupt rulers

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• Note
• There are 2 types of monarchies
• Constitutional Monarchy
• The ruler is the head of state but his/her power
  is symbolic. The parliament/prime minister
  makes/administers decisions for the country.
  (Canada)
• Traditional Monarchy
• The ruler is the head of state and makes all the
  decisions for his/her state.

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Drawbacks

• No criteria (other than birth) for ruling
• Expensive (pomp and ceremony)
• Removed from everyday experiences
• Lack of choice for people
• Not representative of all society/community

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Benefits

• Stable
• Controlled
• Traditional
• Unifying

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• Examples
• Jordan
• Holland
• England (also has a parliamentary system)

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Oligarchy

• Government by few persons
• These people could be distinguished by royalty,
  wealth, family ties, education, corporate, or
  military control

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Drawbacks

• Limited access to power
• Limited rights for people
• Questionable transition of power
• Needs of the lower classes are often ignored
• Similar to dictatorship

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Benefits

• Stable
• Organized
• Controlled
• decision-making can be quick
• in theory, intelligent people
• all members work together

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Examples

• Military juntas (government led by military
  leaders)
• Family compact (Upper Canada pre-1837)
• Chateau Clique (Lower Canada pre-1837)

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Aristocracy

• A government in which power is vested in a
  minority consisting of those believed to be best
  qualified (privileged upper class)

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Drawbacks

• Restricted criteria for rule (most often birth in
  a particular social group)
• Rule by a limited small group
• Limited individual rights

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Benefits

• Organized
• Controlled
• Efficient

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• Examples
• Pre - 1215 England
• Pre - 1870 Germany

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Representative Democracy

• Government of the people, by the people, for the
  people (Abraham Lincoln)
• -decision-making is by elected representatives

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Drawbacks

• Takes more time to make decisions
• More costly
• Elected Representatives may not support/like the
  prime minister

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Benefits

• Protects individual rights
• Input from many sources into government decisions
• People are the government
• Peoples voices are heard
• Elected representatives understand they need to
  be re-elected
• Diverse representatives

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• Examples
• Canada
• Costa Rica
• Japan

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Theocracy

• Government by God
• government by religious leaders
• religious laws may replace modern laws

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Drawbacks

• Can lead to conflict
• Minorities are ignored
• Extremism not in accordance with religious
  doctrine

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Benefits

• Similar ideas
• Traditions are upheld
• Leader is usually adored

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• Examples
• Vatican City

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Anarchy

• absence of any political authority (government)
• political disorder and confusion

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Drawbacks

• Standard of living drops
• Political disorder
• lawless

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Benefits

• people do not have to disagree or dislike the
  government (they are on their own)

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Examples

• French Revolution 17891799
• Somalia since 1991

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Communism

• government owns everything and is shared equally
• state plans and controls economy
• distribution of all goods is controlled by the
  government
• in theory, everyone is equal (classless society)

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Drawbacks

• possibility of corruption
• no individuality

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Benefits

• equal
• similar ideals
• all resources/property are shared equally

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Examples

• Cuba Fidel Castro
• Russia-
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vQra0hlO6hZkfeature
  related

Stalin, Lenin et Kalinin - Russia
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Note

• A country can exist under more than one category.
  Canada is both an example of a monarchy
  (technically a constitutional monarchy) as well
  as a democracy.

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• Ex of Communism You have two cows. The
  government takes both and gives you some milk.
• Example of Democracy Everyone has two cows. Each
  vote and what the majority decides, you must
  take.