Government. Citizen Participation Autocratic/ Autocracy Oligarchic/ Oligarchy Democratic/ Democracy Definition Characteristics:

Government

Citizen ParticipationAutocratic/Autocracy

Oligarchic/Oligarchy

Democratic/Democracy

Definition Definition Definition

Characteristics: Characteristics: Characteristics:

Autocratic/Autocracy

Oligarchic/Oligarchy

Democratic/Democracy

Examples Examples Examples

Picture Picture Picture

Citizen Participation

• Different governments decide a citizens’ role in government differently

• The government can share none, little, or most of its power with its citizens

3 main ways governments determine citizen participation . . .

1. autocratic 2. oligarchic 3. democratic

AUTOCRATIC

rule by one

OLIGARCHIC rule by the few

DEMOCRATIC rule by all

Citizen’s Role in Government

Democratic

(all)

Autocratic

(one)

Oligarchic

(few)

MOST citizen

participation

LEAST citizen

participation

How Governments Determine Citizen Participation

DemocracyOligarchicAutocratic

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High Participation High Participation

Low or No Participation Low or No Participation Low or No Participation

Autocratic

• One person (ex. King, Emperor, Czar) possesses unlimited power

• The citizen has limited, if any, role in government

Autocratic cont.• Ruler gets power through

inheritance or ruthless use of military & police power

• The oldest form of government• One of the most common forms

of government

Examples of Autocratic Gov’tsTotalitarianism & Dictatorships

• Ideas of a single leader glorified• Gov’t tries to control all parts of social

& economic life• People lack the power to limit their

rulers• Examples- Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin,

Sudan

Examples of Autocratic Gov’tsAbsolute Monarchy

• King, queen, or emperor has unlimited power

• Position is usually inherited (from parents or other relatives)

• People lack the power to limit their rulers

• Absolute monarchs are rare today but from the 1400s to the 1700s they ruled most of Western Europe

• Example - King of Saudi Arabia

Oligarchy• Government by the few (a few

powerful individuals make decisions)

• A small group exercises control, especially for corrupt and selfish purposes

• The citizen has a very limited role

•The ruling group gets its power from military power, wealth, religion or a combination.

•Political disagreement is usually suppressed (sometimes violently)

Oligarchy

Examples of Oligarchy Theocracy (Iran)

• a government run by religious authority

• A Deity (god) is recognized as the highest ruler

• The Deity's laws are interpreted by religious experts (priests, mullahs, etc.)

Examples of OligarchyCommunism (China)

• Gov’t plans & controls the economy • a single party holds power• state controls are forced • NO private ownership of property • All goods are to be equally shared by

the people (ex. classless society)

WARNING!Autocracy & Oligarchy

• Sometimes claim they rule for the people.• In reality, the people have very little say in both

types of government.• Example - may hold elections with only one

candidate or control the results of elections• Example - even when these governments have a

legislature (branch that makes laws), they often only approve decisions made by the leaders.

Democracy•Citizens vote on government

representatives & on specific issues

•People have the most power

Presidential Democracy Parliamentary Democracy

Definition: Definition:

Characteristics: Characteristics:

Examples Examples

PICTURE: PICTURE:

2 main forms of democratic governments . . .

1.Parliamentary: parliament (legislature) elects prime minister

2. Presidential: citizens elect president

Presidential Democracy

• Different branches of government (executive, legislative, judicial) are equal in power

• Executive branch independent from the legislature (ex. president elected by citizens not legislature)

Examples of Presidential Democracy

Republic

(U.S., Kenya, South Africa, India) the people elect representatives to govern and

make laws

Parliamentary Democracy•Legislature makes most

decisions•Executive (Prime Minister)

elected by the legislature instead of by the citizens

•Example - Israel

Examples of Parliamentary Democracy

Constitutional Monarchy(Japan)

• Monarch (king or queen) must follow the laws of the constitution

• monarch is usually a figure-head, the real power rests with the legislature (Parliament/Congress)