Chapter 1: Americans, Citizenship, and Governments
Section 4 Objectives:
1.) Describe the purpose of government.
2.) Identify the types of government.
.Lesson 4: Forms of Government
I. The Importance of Government
1. Without government we would have confusion, violence, and fear
2. Government makes it possible for people to live together peacefully and productively
A. Keep Order and Provide Security
1. Government provides laws we need to follow
2. What do laws do?
a. Prevent conflicts, protect from attack, protect property from theft, and protect people’s rights
3. Governments enforce laws by fining or arresting those accused of breaking them
a. Trials are held to determine guilt or innocence
4. Governments also provide security or protection from other nations
B. Provide Services
1. Benefit society- libraries, schools, hospitals, parks, street repair, garbage collection, deliver mail
2. Safety- police, fire, driver’s license
3. Those in need- food, monetary support, housing, health care
C. Guide the Community
1. Public policy - decisions and actions a government takes to solve problems in the community
2. Public policy deals with financial planning and relationships with neighboring communities
D. Levels of Government
1. Federal system divides power between national and state governments
a. States give some power to local gov’ts
2. National (Federal) Government
a. Highest level
b. State and local laws cannot go against national laws
3. State Government
a. 50 states, each has own government
b. Marriage laws, rules for schools, run elections
4. Local Government (counties, cities, towns)
a. Closest level to the citizens
b. School districts, police, fire, EMS, road repairs
II. The Types of Government
1. Each nation has a different type of government
A. Democratic Government
1. Began in Athens, Greece 2500 years ago
a. Direct Democracy - everyone had a say
2. US has a Republic or Representative Democracy
a. We elect people to govern for us
3. Representative democracy - government in which citizens choose a smaller group to govern on their behalf
4. Constitutional monarchy - monarchy in which the power of the hereditary ruler is limited by the country’s constitution and laws
5. Constitutional Monarchies have kings and queens with little or no real power
a. Most power lies with the elected lawmaking body
6. In democracies, the majority rules
7. Majority rule - political principle providing that a majority of the members of a community has the power to make laws binding upon all the people
B. Authoritarian Government
1. Authoritarian regime - government in which one leader or group of people holds absolute power
2. Most monarchies were originally authoritarian regimes (king/queen had all the power)
3. Today few absolute monarchies exist
a. Example: King of Saudi Arabia, Emir of Qatar
4. Dictatorships today are totalitarian regimes
a. Dictators usually take power by force and have an ideology about how things should be
b. Usually practice socialism (government controls economy)
c. Examples: Hitler/Nazi Germany, Stalin/Soviet Union during WWII; Cuba, North Korea currently
5. Totalitarian - describes a system in which gov’t control extends to almost all aspects of people’s lives
6. Ideology - body of ideas about life and society
7. Socialism - system in which society, either directly or indirectly through the government, controls all aspects of the economy
8. Oligarchy - small group of people hold all of the power
9. Theocracy - ruled by religious leader, laws
C. Systems of Government
1. How power is shared
a. Federalism - power is shared by national and state governments (U.S., Germany, Brazil, India)
b. Unitary System - central government has all the power (France, Japan, Great Britain)
c. Confederation - states have most of the power, weak national government (1st US government)
Section 4 Note Check Questions:
1.) What is the purpose of government?
Keep order, provide security, provide services, and guide the community
2.) How do governments keep order in society?
By establishing and enforcing laws
3.) Name three (3) different types of democratic governments.
1.) Representative democracy (citizens choose a group of people to represent them)
2.) Republic (citizens have a role in choosing the head of government)
3.) Constitutional monarchy (power of the hereditary ruler is limited by a constitution)
4.) List two (2) different types of authoritarian governments.
1.) Absolute monarchy (king or queen hold all the power)
2.) Dictatorship (one person controls the government)
5.) How are federal and unitary systems of government different? Explain.
* In federal system power is divided among a central, national government and smaller self-governing units such as states
* In a unitary system, the central government holds all the power