CRCT Government Review - Weebly



CRCT GOVERNMENT REVIEW

Three Ways Government Systems DISTRIBUTE POWER

Unitary - a form of government in which power is held by ONE central authority (national government) – regional authorities (states, provinces) have no real power

Confederation - voluntary associations of independent countries that agree to join together to achieve a goal but don’t give up any power over their own nation (organizations: OPEC, UN, EU)

Federal - a form of government in which power is divided between one central and several regional authorities (government: republic, democracy). Generally, national security and defense, monetary policy, and other issues of a "national" scope are handled at the "federal" level (central authority) while more local issues such as road and infrastructure maintenance and education policy are handled at the regional level.

CITIZEN PARTICIPATION (Who has the power?)

Autocratic - government in which one person possesses unlimited power and the citizen has little if any role in the government. Role is to obey.

Oligarchic - government by the few, a small group of people have the power and the citizen has little if any role in the government. Role is to obey.

Democratic - a government in which the people have the power which they use directly or indirectly by holding elections for government officials to represent them (the people) and make decisions about governing. Role is to vote.

How Governments Determine Citizen Participation - Democratic Governments

Parliamentary – system in which the citizens vote for the legislators, who then select the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister and his cabinet remain in the legislature, but also hold the executive power. (2 Branches: Legislative and Executive – Prime Minister and Cabinet are members of both branches)

Presidential - a system of government in which the president and the legislators are separately and directly elected by the citizens. The president and the cabinet members cannot remain in the legislature. (3 Separate Branches: Legislative, Judicial, Executive)

Middle East Governments

Saudi Arabia - an absolute monarchy with the king (currently King Abdullah) as the leader of the nation. Has announced that some limited elections for the legislature will be held some time in the future. Role of citizen is to obey the king. Saudi Arabia is not free.

Iran - an Islamic theocratic republic where the citizens’ role is to vote for the president and the legislature, and on the face of things, the President is the leader of the nation. But the reality is that the Ayatollah and the religious leaders in the Guardian Council choose who gets to run in the elections, meaning that the candidates are all chosen by the religious leaders. The citizens, though they can vote, must obey the decisions of the Supreme Leader. Role of citizen is to vote for President and legislators, and obey government decisions made with approval of the Supreme Leader.

Israel - a representative democracy, specifically a parliamentary democracy, but one where the citizens vote for both the members of the legislature, called the Knesset, and the Prime Minister. There is also a ceremonial President who is elected by the Knesset, but the real work of leading is done by the Prime Minister. Role of citizen is voting for legislators. Israel is free.

Africa Governments

Kenya – presidential democracy, where the citizens’ role is to vote for the president and the legislature. Citizen’s role is to vote separately for president and legislature.

All citizens 18 and over may vote in elections. Role of citizen is to vote for president. Because of some government restrictions on press freedom, freedom of speech, and some problems with elections, Kenya is only partly free.

South Africa - South Africa is a parliamentary democracy. The prime minister of South Africa is elected by members of the legislature (National Assembly) who are themselves elected by the citizens. The prime minister is called “president” and is both the chief of state and the head of government. All citizens 18 and over may vote in elections. South Africa is free.

South Sudan (how and why it got independence) – The people of South Sudan (black African ethnic groups who are animists and Christians) were discriminated against by the government of Sudan (Arab Muslims like the majority of Sudan’s people. After a decades-long civil war, the people of South Sudan voted to form their own nation in 2011. South Sudan is still fighting with Sudan over oil resources.

Asia Governments

India – is a federal parliamentary democracy and is the world’s largest democracy. It is led by a prime minister who is selected by the legislature, whose members are elected by the citizens. The prime minister is head of government who does the work of governing. There is also a ceremonial president who is head of state. Role of citizen is voting for legislators. India is free.

China -  communist state, oligarchy, and one-party system. Although China is called a republic, true power lies with the Communist Party. China has a Premier as the head of government and a President as head of state. China is not a democracy. The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) has a monopoly on political power and its nine-member Politburo Standing Committee makes most important political decisions and sets government policy. Party members hold all top posts in government. Top leaders get their positions by working their way up through increasingly powerful jobs in the Communist Party. Members of the Politburo Standing Committee become the leaders of the nation, including the Premier and President.

The National People’s Congress (NPC) members are, or are approved by, the Communist party. This is the nation’s legislature. However, the NPC is a largely symbolic body, meeting for just two weeks a year and automatically approves decisions of the Standing Committee and Politburo. The country’s only competitive elections are for local village positions, which hold limited authority and are under the control of the local Communist Party. The nomination of candidates is tightly controlled, these elected officials never rise in power unless the Communist Party allows it. Role of citizen is to obey. China is not free.

Japan - is a parliamentary democracy The Emperor of Japan (head of state) is merely a “symbol of the state.” Japan is led by a prime minister who is selected by the legislature, whose members are elected by the citizens. The prime minister is head of government who does the work of governing. The Emperor is a ceremonial head of state. Citizen Role of citizen is voting for legislators. Israel is free.

Chief of state the leader of the country who represents the state at official and ceremonial functions, but who is not generally involved with the day-to-day activities of the government.

Head of government the top executive leader who is in charge of the day-to-day activities of the government. He does the work of governing.

Constitutional Monarchy - a political system in which the head of state is a king or queen whose power is limited by a constitution, the degree of power the monarch has depends on what the constitution says.

Communist State – any system of government in which a single party holds power and the state controls the economy. Most communist states have moved toward market economies.

| |Type of Government |Type of Leadership |Who has actual executive |How actual Leader got position |Role of Citizen in Gov’t |Freedom |

| | | |power? | | | |

|Iran |Theocratic Republic |Ayatollah (Supreme Leader) and |Ayatollah (Supreme Leader, who|Ayatollah is chosen by previous Supreme |To vote for President (even though elections |Not Free |

| | |elected President |is a religious leader) |Leader and other important religious |are neither free nor fair) | |

| | | | |leaders |To obey Supreme Leader (Ayatollah) | |

|Saudi Arabia |Absolute Monarchy |King |King |Inherited it |To obey |Not Free |

|Israel |Parliamentary Democracy |Prime Minister – head of gov’t |Prime Minister |Selected by legislature (Knesset) |Vote for legislators |Free |

| | |President – head of state | | |(members of Knesset) | |

|Kenya |Presidential Democracy |President |President |Elected by Popular Vote |Elect President |Partly Free |

|South Africa |Parliamentary Democracy |Prime Minister whose title is President |President |Selected by legislature (National |Elect members of National Assembly (popularly |Free |

| | | | |Assembly) |elected legislature) | |

|India |Federal Parliamentary |Prime Minister – head of gov’t |Prime Minister |Selected by legislature |Vote for legislators |Free |

| |Democracy |President – head of state | | | | |

|China |Single-party system/ Oligarchy |Premier – head of gov’t |Oligarchs – members of the |Worked their way up through the Communist|Obey, but people do elect some low-level local|Not Free |

| |of top Communist Party (CCP) |President – head of state |Standing Committee of the |Party to the highest positions |officials, but voter choice never determines | |

| |leaders | |Politburo | |higher offices | |

|Japan |Parliamentary System with |Prime Minister – head of government |Prime Minister |Emperor – inherited |Vote for members of the Diet (popularly |Free |

| |Constitutional Monarchy |Emperor – head of state | |Prime Minister – Vote for legislators |elected legislature) | |

| | | | |(members of Diet) | | |

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download