Comparing Government Systems 1. Teachers Curriculum Institute

Transcription

1 P r e v i e w Work with your partner to read about six forms of government in today s world. Take turns reading each paragraph, using a low voice. As you read about each form of government, look for advantages and disadvantages. Highlight advantages in one color. Use a different color to highlight disadvantages. After you read about each form of government, complete the T-chart that corresponds to that form of government. Monarchy A monarchy is a form of government headed by a single ruler called a monarch. Monarchs go by many names, including king, queen, or emperor. Many monarchs inherit their power and expect to rule for life. This means the authority to rule is passed down through families. When a monarch dies, a relative usually a son or daughter becomes the next monarch. Monarchies are one of the oldest forms of government still found in the world today. Hundreds of years ago, some monarchs ruled with unlimited power. Most monarchs today, however, have limited power, often based on a constitution. The United Kingdom has a monarch who serves as a ceremonial head of state. Real power to govern is held by the United Kingdom s democratically elected leaders. Monarchies have several advantages. First, when a monarch has complete power, decisions can be carried out on his or her word alone. There is no need for a lot of bickering. A second advantage is a clear line of succession. Citizens living in a monarchy know who is next in line for the throne. And finally, a monarch can inspire great loyalty among his or her subjects, thus create a strong bond to hold a nation together. At the same time, a monarchy has some major disadvantages. One is the varying quality of hereditary leaders. A successful monarch in one generation may be followed by a very unsuccessful one in the next. He or she may make poor choices. Another is how difficult it is for a monarch to run a modern nation a job that has become simply too big for any but the most exceptional monarchs to do well. Comparing Government Systems 1

2 Dictatorship Dictators take and hold power by force. Most dictators come to power after violently overthrowing a government. Some dictatorships may be led by a single person, sometimes from the military, or a small group of military officers or political leaders. This often happens during a time of political unrest or a national emergency. Dictatorships share some of the advantages of absolute monarchies. Power is centralized in the hands of a single military or political leader who can get things done efficiently. With control of the military and police, the leader can put an end to political unrest and maintain peace and order. That same power, however, can easily lead to disadvantages. Dictators can abuse citizens who oppose the dictator s rule. Citizens who oppose a dictatorship may be thrown into jail, tortured, or even killed without cause. Over time, citizens may demand that the dictator return control to elected officials. This can lead to riots or civil war, making it next to impossible to govern the nation. Comparing Government Systems 2

3 Theocracy A theocracy is a government headed by religious leaders. In ancient times, theocracies were common, with government officials serving as religious leaders as well. There are few theocracies in the world today. Having a government based on one set of religious beliefs has some advantages. A single, statesupported religion encourages political and social unity. It also ensures that leaders make their decisions in line with their citizens values and beliefs. Making sure everyone follows the teachings of one religion can be quite difficult, however. Citizens who do not believe in the religion of the majority can have their rights abused. Religious warfare can even break out between citizens of differing beliefs fighting for control of their government. Comparing Government Systems 3

4 Single-Party State In a single-party state, the constitution allows only one political party to govern. Power is exercised by the leading members of the party. These party members have more power, wealth, or talent than the others in the nation. The party members nominate candidates for public office and make most decisions for the country. Ideally, a single-party system avoids bickering between different political parties. Thus, it makes passing laws and carrying out government programs easier. This party unity comes at a cost, however. The views of party members may be very different from the interests of the people as a whole, leading to social unrest. Also, people with differing political views or solutions to problems are often completely shut out of the political process. Comparing Government Systems 4

5 Parliamentary Democracy In a parliamentary democracy, voters elect lawmakers to represent them in the nation s parliament. The political party that wins a majority of the seats in the legislative branch forms a new administration. If no single party wins a majority, several parties join together to form the legislative branch of the government. The legislature then selects one of its members to head the executive branch. Sometimes this person is called a prime minister or a federal chancellor. Usually the person chosen is the leader of the party with the most seats in the legislature. In this way, the legislative and executive branches of the government are combined. The legislative branch makes the laws. The executive branch carries out the laws. Combining the legislative and executive branches can be one advantage of a parliamentary democracy. Since the legislature and the prime minister come from the same party, it is much easier to pass legislation. And since the prime minister controls the executive branch, legislation can quickly become law. Combining the legislative and executive branches can also be a disadvantage. The lack of separation between the executive and legislative branches means the prime minister is very powerful. Also, the prime minister may lack the public support of an elected president. Prime ministers remain in power only so long as they have the support of parliament. Should the prime minister lose that support, he or she must resign and a new election must be held for voters to choose a new parliament. This can sometimes make parliamentary governments unstable. Comparing Government Systems 5

6 Presidential Democracy In presidential democracies, voters choose a president to lead the government as head of the executive branch. They also elect lawmakers to represent them in a national legislature. Both the president and the legislators serve fixed terms. This system has some advantages over a parliamentary democracy. Because presidents are directly elected by the people, they may be more responsive to the public than to their party. They may also get more support from their citizens than does a prime minister chosen by a parliament. The presidential system also separates executive and legislative powers, which allows each branch to watch over the other to prevent abuses of power. Also, with fixed terms, a presidential system may be more stable than one in which the prime minister can be dismissed at any time. This system does have two disadvantages when compared with a parliamentary one. First, it is almost impossible to remove presidents from power before their terms end, no matter how unpopular they might be. Also, when presidents are not from the political party that controls the legislature, it can be harder to reach agreement. Finally, in some countries, presidents have used their power to establish authoritarian regimes. An authoritarian regime is a system of government that has broad control over the lives of its citizens. Comparing Government Systems 6

7 V o c a b u l a r y Complete the matrix below by doing the following: In the first column, write the six forms of government as discussed in the Preview. The first one has been done for you. In the second column, write a brief description of each form of government. Use the information in the Preview. In the third column, draw a symbol of each form of government. Form of Government Description Symbol Monarchy Comparing Government Systems 7

8 C o m p a r i n g G o v e r n m e n t s Work with a partner to compare governments in nations around the world. Follow these steps: Step 1: Go to one of the ten stations around the classroom. Look at the image and then read both the caption and the bullet points. Step 2: In the matrix below, identify which form of government the nation has and give three pieces of evidence for your choice. Step 3: Describe how citizens participate in this nation s government. Step 4: Have your work checked. Then repeat this process for the remaining stations. Nation Form of Government Evidence How Citizens Participate China Germany India Iran Comparing Government Systems 8

9 Nation Form of Government Evidence How Citizens Participate Libya Russia Saudi Arabia Switzerland United States Venezuela Comparing Government Systems 9

10 P r o c e s s i n g Choose two of the world s nations. Complete the steps below to compare their governments. Step 1: Do Internet research to learn about the governments. Be sure to find accurate sources such as a student encyclopedia. Step 2: Determine what form of government the nation has and how citizens participate in the government. Step 3: Use your research to write a dialogue between citizens from each nation. In the dialogue, the citizens should discuss: the forms of government they live under. what rights and duties they have as citizens. Use the space below to write your dialogue. Comparing Government Systems 10