Forms of Government

Forms of Government

Direct Democracy • History • Athens is considered the birth place • Solon (Athenian law-maker/Lyric poet) • (7th Century B.C.) • Tried to satisfy everyone (rich minority, poor majority) • Formalized the functions of the governmental body • All people had to attend assemblies and vote • Most would partake in a council of 400 to prepare for the vote

Athens’ Continued • Cleisthenes (noble of Athens) • Complete reform • Reorganized into 10 tribes • Goal to improve political powers from family and make a stronger army • Introduced equality for all • Word Democracy introduced • Ephialtes and Pericles (politicians) • Shifted to allow more of the lower class to have power of vote • Drawings to fill political position to dissuade corruption • Only elected officials were generals and treasurer (who had to be rich)

Direct Democracy • Needs to be a smaller population • “Exists where the will of the people is translated into public policy (law) directly by the people themselves, in mass meetings.” • Prentice Hall Government Book. • What ancient Athens used

Indirect/Representative Democracy • What America uses • Relies on elected officials (i.e.: senators, congressmen, mayors, presidents) to carrying out the day-to-day running of the government • Accountable for their actions at their next election • In the U.S. democracy/republic/representative are all used interchangeably

Republic • Gains its power from the people • The head of state is not a monarch • Republic is associated with Rome • Ancient Roman’s created a republic that included their own constitution, though it was never written • Though they still relied on their monarchy (Caesars’) • The members of the consul dressed as royalty wearing purple • Worked like our checks and balances, no group of consuls could act without the other consuls’ permission • Consul’s had ultimate power, but were tied down by the checks and balances of the other consul

Dictatorship • Those who rule are not held responsible by the will of the people • Probably the oldest form of government • Two types: • Autocracy: single person holds the power • Oligarchy: a small group of elite hold the power • Those in charge have absolute power • Ex: Nazi Germany, Soviet Union, People’s Republic of China (still in existence)

Unitary Government • Is often described as a centralized government. • All powers held by the government as a single, central agency • The national government creates local units of government

Unitarian Government Contd. • The local governments only have powers that the central government gives them • Most governmnets in the world are unitary • Great Britain: Parliament holds the power (though , at the same time, it is also democratic)

Federal Government • Power is distributed between a central government and local • An authority creates a division of power based off of geography; which cannot be changed by local nor federal by themselves • Both levels of government act directly on the people through their own sets of laws, officials, and agencies. • In U.S. the division of power is split up in The Constitution. • The Constitution is above both governments; can only be changed if both Fed and State governments agree • The state governments are unitary, not fed in form

Confederate Government • A confederation is an alliance of independt states • Only had the power to handle the matters that the member states have assigned to it • Usually limits the States power to military an d foreign affairs • Allows for several states to cooperate in matters of common, yet retain their own identities • European Union is the closest modern Conferderation • Seeks to coordinate its members’ foreign and defense policies

Homework/In-Class • Read Section: Relationship between Legislative and Executive Branches (pg 15) • Answer the questions on page 16

Forms of Government