Rule
Rule
Human beings are a social creature.
We depend on one another to
thrive, and as such form societies.
However, in these societies, we
have rules and rulers. Who gets to
make these decisions, and why do
we live that way?
Journal Reflection
“In your opinion, what makes a good ruler? What qualities do
we look for in leadership?”
Some Terms
Monarchy: System of government with a single ruling member, whose reign is usually
inherited.
Aristocracy: Form of government where power is held by nobles or a privileged,
hereditary elite.
Democracy: System of government where rule is shared by the common people,
typically through elected representatives.
Oligarchy: Rule by a small group of powerful or wealthy individuals.
Tyranny: Totalitarian rule by a single person, often described as cruel or oppressive.
More Terms
Theocracy: Are systems where civil law is defined by religion, and priests wield
significant political power.
Constitutional Monarchy: A Monarch has limited powers and is largely symbolic, but
is still considered the head of state.
Republic: Is a democratic system with an elected head of state such as a president or
prime minister.
Authoritarian: Although “Authoritarian” is more of an ideological perspective, here we
could categorize countries that have a “one-party” system, or states that rule as one
party or leader.
Types of Rule
The philosopher Aristotle summarized that there were roughly three forms of
government in his time. These were:
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Rule by one
Rule by few
Rule by many
What do you think are the benefits and the problems with each of these?
Aristotle thought that each of these had two forms, a positive version and a
negative one. Selfish abuses of power would turn the “positive” into various
“deviant” forms.
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Rule by one = monarchy becomes tyranny
Rule by few = aristocracy becomes oligarchy
Rule by many = democracy becomes mob rule.
Always Remember...
What form of rule do
we have in Canada
today?
A Blip in History?
Although we practice a form of democracy (rule of many), it is important to remember
that the majority of human beings, for the majority of recent history, have not had this.
We are currently living in a social experiment.
Will democracy last?
Guessing Game
Match the following countries with what form of government you think they have. We will check as we go to
see how you did!
Categories: Monarchy, Constitutional Monarchy, Authoritarian, Republic, and
Theocracy
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Saudi Arabia
Canada
Sweden
Morocco
Germany
Columbia
Iran
China
Monarchy and Constitutional Monarchy
Some states have an absolute Monarch
that wields power. One modern example
is Saudi Arabia where King Salman rules
to this day.
Monarchy and Constitutional Monarchy
Some states have a constitutional
monarchy. In these cases the Monarch
has limited powers and is largely
symbolic, but is still considered the
head of state. Some examples of this are
Canada and Sweden. Where Carl XVI
Gustaf and Queen Elizabeth II serve as
their respective heads of state.
Monarchy and Constitutional Monarchy
In some constitutional
monarchies, such as Morocco,
the King Mohammed VI still
holds a large amount of power,
but works with the elected
officials to run the government.
Authoritarian Regimes
Although “Authoritarian” is more of an
ideological perspective, here we could
categorize countries that have a
“one-party” system, or states that rule as
one party or leader. This area can be
controversial in some cases. One example
is China, where there is little to no
opposition to the Communist party.
Republic
A republic is a democratic system
with an elected head of state such as
a president or prime minister. In the
various forms the head of state has
varying degrees of power. Some
examples are Germany and
Columbia.
Theocracy
Theocracies are systems where civil
law is defined by religion, and priests
wield significant political power. One
example of a theocracy is Iran.