Transcript Comparative Government

Comparative
Government
Essential Questions
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How is the leader chosen, or how does the
leader acquire power?
Given the manor in which the leader is
decided, are they qualified to lead?
What powers or limits on powers does the
leader have?
What advantages and disadvantages does
each type of government have?
What opportunities for citizen participation
are there in each government?
Absolute Monarchy
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Leader is a monarch (king or queen)
Leader is decided through hereditary
lineage (by birth)
Leader is groomed by birth to lead
There is no limit to the monarch’s
power, so citizens have no rights
Examples: France until 1789, Russia
until 1917, Saudi Arabia today
Constitutional Monarchy
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Head of state is either through
hereditary lineage or elected
Shares power, or is merely a
figurehead, with a prime minister
Power of monarch is limited by a
constitution that gives citizens rights
Examples: United Kingdom today
Parliamentary Democracy
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Prime minister is elected to be the head
of government
People elect a legislature which then
elects the head of government, so no
true separation of powers
Leader can be removed for unpopularity
with a “vote of no confidence”
Power of government is limited through
a constitution, so citizens are guaranteed
rights
Example: United Kingdom today
Presidential Democracy
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Leader is popularly elected as president
Has a complete separation of powers (with
checks and balances guaranteeing no part of
government gets too powerful)
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Leader can be impeached for misconduct
(high crimes or misdemeanors)
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Government power is limited by a
constitution guaranteeing citizens rights
Example: United States today
Dictatorship
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Leader acquires power through force
Has no laws or legally-organized
opposition telling the leader what they
can do
Equivalent to a police state
Considered exact opposite of a
democracy
Involves constant indoctrination through
propaganda to erase any potential for
dissent
Examples: North Korea today, Cuba
today, Iraq under Sadam
Theocracy
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Leader is either oligarchy or
autocracy of ruling priests
Government is ruled through
religious authority (This is basically a
dictatorship, but the basis of rule is a strict
religious command)
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Citizens have no rights that conflict
with religious doctrine
Examples: Iran today, the Vatican
today, Afghanistan under the
Taliban
Totalitarian Governments
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Totalitarianism
• The state controls every aspect of public
and private life
• The ruler(s) have TOTAL control/power
• Keep power by disseminating
(spreading) propaganda through statecontrolled media, restricting free
speech, controlling the economy,
creating a personality cult, and use of
terror tactics
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Propaganda
• Widespread promotion of particular
ideas to further your cause or damage
an opposing one
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Indoctrination
• The act of teaching particular doctrines,
beliefs, or ideas of a party or cult
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Examples of totalitarian states:
• Nazi Germany
• Soviet Union
• Mao Zedong’s Communist China
• Khmer Rouge of Pol Pot in Cambodia
• Saddam Hussein’s Iraq
• North Korea today under Kim Jong-Il