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American Government

American Government. C1, S2 – Forms of Government. Classifying Governments. No two are exactly alike Products of human needs & experiences Classification as a government is based on: Who can participate Geographic distribution Relationship between legislative and executive branches .

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American Government

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  1. American Government C1, S2 – Forms of Government

  2. Classifying Governments • No two are exactly alike • Products of human needs & experiences • Classification as a government is based on: • Who can participate • Geographic distribution • Relationship between legislative and executive branches

  3. Who Can Participate Two basic forms

  4. Democracy Authority rests with the people In a democracy, people are sovereign Direct or Indirect

  5. Direct Democracy Also called pure democracy Occurs when the will of the people translates into public policy Works only on a small, local level

  6. Indirect Democracy Also called representative democracy A group of persons chosen by the people express the will of the people Widely used on a national, State, and local level

  7. Dictatorship Exists where those who rule cannot be held responsible to the will of the people Most common form of government known to history Identified as either autocracies or oligarchies

  8. Autocracy Government in which a single person holds unlimited political power

  9. Oligarchy Government in which the power to rule is held by a small, usually self-appointed elite

  10. Geographic Distribution of Power • In every system of government, the power to govern is located in one or more places geographically. From this standpoint, 3 basic forms of government exist • Unitary • Federal • Confederate

  11. Unitary Government • (Centralized government) All powers held by the government belong to a single, central agency • The central (national) government creates local units for its own convenience • Most government in the world are unitary • Parliament • 50 state governments

  12. Federal Government • The powers of government are divided between a central and several local governments • Division of powers is based on a geographic basis • Set out in the U.S. Constitution

  13. Confederate Government Alliance of independent states Limited powers in defense & foreign affairs Articles of Confederation (1781-1789) & the Confederate States of America (1861-1865)

  14. Legislative & Executive Branches • Political scientists also classify governments based on the relationship between their legislative & executive agencies. This grouping yields two basic forms of government • Presidential • Parliamentary

  15. Presidential Government • Features a separation of powers between the executive & legislative branches of the government • Independent and coequal • Details spelled out in a written constitution (i.e., U.S.) • Powers to block actions of other branch • Form invented in the United States

  16. Parliamentary Government • The executive branch is made up of the prime minister or premier, and that official’s cabinet • The prime minister & cabinet are themselves members of the legislative branch, the parliament • The executive is chosen by the legislature, is part of it, and is subject to its direct control • Majority of the governmental systems in the world today

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