Latin America’s GovernmentDateName:
(Governance)
SS6CG1 The student will compare and contrast various forms of government.
a. Describe the ways government systems distribute power: unitary, confederation, and federal.
b. Explain how governments determine citizen participation: autocratic, oligarchic, and democratic.
c. Describe the two predominate forms of democratic governments: parliamentary and presidential.
Forms of Government
3 questions must be asked first when studying forms of government:
1) Who rules or governs?
2) How do citizens participate?
3) How is power distributed?
There are 3 types of government: Autocracy, Oligarchy & Democracy
Autocracy
- Power is held by one person
- Power to rule is inherited or by military force
- Examples?
- Dictatorship: Cuba
- Absolute Monarchy: King, Queen, Emperor or Empress: Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Andorra, Brunei, Oman, Swaziland, Vatican City
Oligarchy
- Power is held by a group of people
- Power to rule comes from military status, wealth or social status
- Elections are held but only 1 candidate is offered
- Examples? Arguable if there are any true oligarchies today
Democracy (Mexico)
- Power is held by the people
- Power to rule is decided through elections
- Two types of democracy:
- Direct Democracy: people vote on all issues
- Representative Democracy: people elect representatives & give them the power to vote on issues (Dominican Republic)
- Individual freedom & equality is valued
- Free elections are held
- Decisions are based on majority rule
- All candidates can express their views freely
- Citizens vote by secret ballot
- Two types of democratic governments:
- Parliamentary Democracy: (Belize)
- Voters elect members of Parliament (legislature)
- Parliament has 2 houses:
- House of Commons: the political party with the most votes in the House of Commons chooses the Prime Minister, the government’s leader with no set length of term
- House of Lords or Senate: little power with most members being nobles having inherited their titles
- Presidential Democracy: (Brazil & Mexico)
- Voters elect legislators
- Voters indirectly vote for president
- Voters have a direct voice in those who serve in the legislative & executive branches
How is the power distributed? 3 ways power is distributed: unitary, confederation, federal
SS6CG2 The student will explain the structures of national governments in Latin America and the Caribbean.
a. Compare the federal-republican systems of the Federative Republic of Brazil (Brazil) and the United Mexican States (Mexico) to the dictatorship of Republic of Cuba (Cuba), distinguishing the form of leadership and the role of the citizen in terms of voting and personal freedoms
Federal Republic of Brazil
• Brazil is a federal republic with a presidential democracy in which power is divided between the national & state governments (Brazil has 26 states). Citizens elect the president (chief of state & head of government) & members of Congress (legislature). Brazil’s current president is Michel Temer who took office in August 2016. He can serve a 4-year term & only be re-elected once. Brazil has a bicameral legislature (National Congress) made up of the Senate & the Chamber of Deputies.
• Citizens have many freedoms & they also have the right to vote
• Men & women who are 16 years of age may choose to vote, and citizens 18-70 are required by law to vote
• Citizens can choose representatives from many political parties
• Country enjoys average level of freedom compared to other countries in the world
• Level of Personal Freedom = 59
• (1 = most free, 159 = least free; World average is 57)
• Scale examines freedom to travel & trade, protection of personal property rights, freedom to conduct business, & taxation level
• US = 8
• Personal property rights are not always protected, and the court system cannot be trusted to help people in all cases
Federal Republic of Mexico
• Mexico is a federal republic with a presidential democracy in which power is divided between the national & state governments. (Mexico has 31 states) Citizens elect the president (chief of state & head of government) who serves 1 6 year term as well as members of Congress. The current Mexican president is Enrique Pena Nieto whose term began in December 2012. Mexico has a bicameral legislature (National Congress) made up of the Senate & the Chamber of Deputies.
• Citizens of Mexico have many freedoms, and they also have the right to vote
• Citizens who are 18 or older may choose to vote
• There are many political parties
• Country enjoys an average level of freedom compared to other countries in the world
• Level of Personal Freedom = 52
• (1 = most free, 159 = least free; World average is 57)
• Court system is managed by the central government, and is not totally independent of the president
Unitary Socialist Republic of Cuba
• Cuba is a unitary system with an autocratic dictatorship. The president (Raul Castro: chief of state & head of government) holds most of the countries’ power and can serve unlimited terms. Cuba’s 15 provinces are under the control of the central government. The president is appointed by the National Assembly of the People’s Power (unicameral legislature). The people may vote for members of the National Assembly, but only members approved by the Communist Party, giving the people no choice in who to vote for. The Communist Party (Cuba’s only political party) controls all aspects of government.
• Cuba has been a dictatorship since 1959 when Fidel Castro overthrew the government with military force. Since then, either Fidel or Raul have been in power and have unlimited power. Even though citizens get to “vote”, they do not get to select candidates of help in the lawmaking process.
• Citizens have few freedoms
- Men and women aged 16 and over may choose to vote, but have few choices
- Only one political party (Communist Party) is allowed & it has been controlled by
Fidel Castro and his brother Raul since 1959 - One of the least free countries in the world
- Level of Personal Freedom = 157
- (1 = most free, 159 = least free; World average is 57)
- Government controls nearly all aspects of life
- There is little opportunity to own personal property
- Government is large and controls all businesses, factories, & farms
1