G U I D E T O R E A D I N G N O T E S

GUIDE TO READING NOTES

Following are possible answers to the Reading Notes questions.

Section 2 3000 b.c.e. First city-states arise in Sumer: The government settles disputes and coordinates the har-

vesting and trading of crops. 2330s b.c.e. Sargon of Akkad formed empire: Sargon rules with absolute power. 509 b.c.e. Roman Republic formed: Romans expel monarchy and form a republic in which the

people elect representatives to make public decisions. 400s b.c.e. Athens formed direct democracy: All free, adult males share equally in governing. 31 b.c.e. Roman Empire formed: Power held by emperors for life. 700s c.e. Feudalism began in Europe: Nobles serve as vassals to lords. 1300s c.e. Rise of absolute monarchies: In most of Europe, monarchs control all aspects of govern-

ment. 1688 c.e. Glorious Revolution in England: The first constitutional monarchy is established, limiting

the power of the monarch. 1775 c.e. American Revolution: American colonists revolt against the British and set up the first

modern constitutional democracy. 1789 c.e. French Revolution: The French overthrow the monarchy, resulting in a repressive dicta-

torship that sets the stage for the totalitarian regimes of the 20th century. 1900s c.e. Rise of totalitarian dictatorships: Russian Revolution leads to communist dictatorship;

fascist dictatorship established in Italy; Nazi dictatorship established in Germany.

? Teachers' Curriculum Institute

Comparing Forms of Government 1

GUIDE TO READING NOTES

Section 3

Term Monarchy

Dictatorship

Definition

Pros

Cons

a system of government in which a single ruler exercises supreme power based on heredity or divine right

? efficient way of carrying out decisions and policies

? clear line of succession ? loyalty to monarch as unifying

power

a system of government in which a single person or group exercises supreme power based on its control of the military and police

? power centralized in the hands of a single military or political leader who can get things done efficiently

? control of the military and police allows dictator to maintain peace and order

? quality of leadership can vary dramatically from one generation to the next

? job of running modern nationstate has become too big for any but the most exceptional monarchs to do well

? power can be used to abuse citizens who oppose the dictator

? dictators face serious legitimacy problems

Theocracy

Single-party state

Direct democracy

Parliamentary democracy

Presidential democracy

a system of government headed by religious leaders

? single, state-supported religion encourages political and social unity

? ensures that political decisions are in line with the people's moral values and beliefs

? difficult to enforce religious unity ? religious minorities often mar-

ginalized or even persecuted

a system of government in which only one political party is allowed by the constitution to govern and power is exercised by the leading members of the party

? easier to pass laws by avoiding the political wrangling common in multiparty states

? the views of the party elite may differ from the interests of the people as a whole, leading to social unrest

? people with differing political views are often shut out of the political process

a system of government in which public decisions are made directly by citizens meeting together in an assembly or voting by ballot

? each citizen has an equal say in public affairs

? decisions have widespread support

? very time-consuming for citizens

a system of government in which voters elect lawmakers to represent them in the nation's parliament; the leaders of the executive branch come from the ruling party in parliament

? members of the legislative majority usually vote with the prime minister on key issues, making it easier to get legislation passed

? no clear-cut separation between the executive and legislative, so no real check on the prime minister's powers

? prime minister can be forced to resign, leading to instability

a system of government in which voters elect lawmakers to represent them in the legislature and a president to lead the government as head of the executive branch

? president may be more responsive to the public than to party concerns

? separation of executive and legis lative powers allows each branch to watch over the other to prevent abuses of power

? fixed terms of office creates stability

? no easy way to remove an unpopular president from power

? gridlock may result when a president is not from the party that controls the legislature

? Teachers' Curriculum Institute

Comparing Forms of Government 2

GUIDE TO READING NOTES

Section 4

Term Unitary system

Federal system

Confederal system

Definition

Pros

a system of government in which power is centralized in the national government; regional governments only exercise powers given by national government

? promotes national unity ? all parts of the country follow

the same laws and policies

Cons

? broad public policies may not fit the needs of the entire country or population

? central government officials cannot know the needs of every locality

a system of government in which power is divided between national and regional governments

? works well for large, diverse countries

? gives regional governments flexibility in meeting diverse needs

? patchwork of conflicting or competing laws from region to region

? may foster conflict between central and regional governments

a system of government in which power resides in the regions, which are independent states; the central government gets power from regional governments

? allows regional governments to unite for some purposes without giving up the power to run their own affairs

? gives regional governments flexibility to meet local needs

? prevents rise of an authoritarian central government

? central government may be too weak to meet the needs of the nation as a whole

? may lead to conflict between regions

Section 5

Term

Traditional economy

Definition

an economic system in which decisions about what goods and services to produce and how are made on the basis of tradition

Pros

Cons

? tradition and community values keep the economy running smoothly

? people can provide for themselves

? very low standard of living ? limited access to goods and

services

Market economy

an economic system that relies mainly on markets to determine what goods and services to produce and how

? efficient at meeting people's needs, based on demand

? competition keeps prices from rising too high

? business investment helps the economy grow

? instability; periods of growth usually alternate with recessions

? unequal distribution of wealth

Command economy

an economic system that relies mainly on the central government to determine what goods and services to produce and how

? can ensure full employment ? can control prices and bring

stability to the economy ? distributes income more

equally

? workers have little incentive to work hard or to produce quality goods

? government planners are less efficient than the market at making economic decisions

? Teachers' Curriculum Institute

Comparing Forms of Government 3

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

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

Google Online Preview   Download