Forms of Government - Jenks Public Schools of...Unitary Federal Confederal Unitary Governments An unitary government is described as a centralized government All power held by the

Forms of Government

Carl JohnsonGovernmentJenks High School

Classifying Governments

No two governments are, or have ever been alike…They are products of human needs and experiences However, they can be classified

according to one or more of their basic features

Classifying Governments

There are three ways which governments are classified Who can participate in governing process The geographic distribution of governmental

power within the state The relationship between the legislative

(lawmaking) and executive (law-executing) branches of the government

I. Who Can Participate

To many people, this is the most important way of classifying governments In determining who can participate,

governments take one of two basic forms: Democracies Dictatorships

Democracy

In a democracy, supreme political authority rests with the people People hold sovereign power, and

government is conducted only by and with the consent of the people Abraham Lincoln’s definition of democracy in

the Gettysburg Address is probably the best “government of the people, by the people and for

the people.”

Direct Democracy

Democracy can be either direct or indirect in nature Direct democracy, or pure democracy, exists

where the will of the people is translated into public policy (law) directly by the people themselves. This usually can only exist in very small

communities where the problems of government are few and relatively simple

Direct Democracy (con’t)

Direct democracy does not exist at the national level anywhere in the world today The best possible example of a direct

democracy would be Swiss cantons

Indirect Democracy

Is also called representative democracy, where a small group of persons are chosen to act as representatives to express the popular will

These representatives are responsible for carrying out the day-to-day conduct of government – the making of laws and such

They are held accountable to the people for their conduct at periodic elections…In other words, representative democracy is government with the consent of the governed

The United States is an example of an indirect democracy

Dictatorship

A dictatorship exists where those who rule cannot be held responsible to the will of the people The government is not responsible for its

policies, nor how they are carried out Dictatorships are the oldest and most

common form of governments known to history

Dictatorship

Dictatorships are usually identified as either autocracies or oligarchies An autocracy is where a single person holds

unlimited power An oligarchy is where power to rule is held by a

small, usually self-appointed elite All dictatorships are authoritarian – power held

is absolute and unchallengeable Modern dictatorships have tended to be

totalitarian – total control over every aspect of human affairs

Dictatorship

One person dictatorships are not at all common today…Libya would be an exception (Muammar Qaddfi)

Most dictatorships actually hide the fact that several groups (military, religious leaders, industrialists) are competing for power

Most dictatorships are militaristic in nature Power is gained by force, and the military holds

most of the major posts in governments

II. Geographic Distribution of Power In every system of government, power to

govern is located in one or more places, geographically As a result, three basic forms of

governments exist: Unitary Federal Confederal

Unitary Governments

An unitary government is described as a centralized government All power held by the government

belongs to a single, central agency Local governments are created for the

convenience of the central (national) government

Unitary Governments

Most governments in the world are unitary in form Great Britain is a classic example

Parliament (single centralized agency) holds all the government powers

Local governments serve only to relieve Parliament of burdens of inconvenience

Parliament could do away with these local governments at any time

Don’t confuse unitary with dictatorships…While power is centralized, the government may not have all the power!

Unitary Governments

Federal Governments A federal government is one in which powers are

divided between a central government and several local governments

An authority superior to both these governments makes this division of power on a geographical basis and that division cannot be changed by either the local or central governments acting alone

Both levels of government act directly on the people through their own sets of laws, officials and agencies The United States is a great example, with the federal

government having certain powers and the 50 states having others. The division of power is set out in the Constitution of the United States

The Constitution stands above both levels of government, and cannot be changed unless the people, through both the federal and locals governments agree to that change

Other examples of federal governments would include: Canada, Mexico, Australia, Germany and India

Federal Governments

Confederate Governments A confederation is an alliance of independent states A central organization, the confederate government,

only handles those matters that member states assign to it

Power is very limited to the central organization A confederation makes it possible for several states to

cooperate in matters of common concern and also maintain their separate identities

Confederations are very rare in today’s world. The European Union is the best example of a current confederation. The United States, under the Articles of Confederation and also the Confederate States of America are also examples of a confederation

Confederate Governments

III. Relationship Between the Executive and Legislative Branches

Governments can also be classified on the basis of the relationship between their executive and legislative branches Two basic forms of government have

emerged: presidential and parliamentary

Presidential Governments In a presidential government, the executive and

legislative branches are separate, independent of one another and coequal.

The chief executive (President) is chosen independently of the legislature, holds office for a fixed term and has broad powers, not subject to direct control of the legislative branch

There is usually a checks and balances between the two branches and also a clearly defined separation of powers The United States is the world’s leading example of

presidential government. The United States was also the inventor of this form of government

Most other presidential systems of government are found in the western hemisphere

Parliamentary Governments In a parliamentary government, the executive branch is

made up of the prime minister or premier and that official’s cabinet (advisors)

The prime minister and cabinet themselves are members of the legislative branch, the Parliament

The prime minister is the leader of the majority party or a likeminded group of parties in Parliament and is chosen by that body

Thus, the executive is chosen by the legislature and is subject to its direct control

Parliamentary Governments The prime minister and cabinet, often referred to as

“the government” remain in office as long as their policies have the confidence of a majority in Parliament

When confidence is lost, a new government is formed, with Parliament choosing a new prime minister or all seats in Parliament being opened up in a general election

An advantage to a parliamentary government is that some of the conflict between branches is avoided since the government and parliament are from the same party Some great examples of parliamentary governments include

Great Britain, Canada and Japan Most governments in the world today are parliamentary