Chapter 1 Content Statement
Content Statement 5
As the supreme law of the land, the U.S. Constitution
incorporates basic principles that help define the
government of the United States as a federal republic
including its structure, powers and relationship with
the governed.
Content Elaborations:
Basic principles which help define the government of the
United States include but are not limited to popular
sovereignty, limited government, federalism, separation of
powers, and checks and balances.
Chapter 1-2 vocab p. 14
Monarchy
Dictatorship
Oligarchy
Direct democracy
Republic
Unitary system
Federal system
Confederal system
Presidential system
Parliamentary system
Chapter 1-2 vocab p. 14
Monarchy: a form of government in which political power is exercised by a single ruler, such as a
king or a queen, who exercises absolute authority under the claim of divine or hereditary right.
Dictatorship: a system of rule in which one person, a dictator, or a small group of people can hold
unlimited power over government, which is usually controlled by force.
Oligarchy: rule by a few small groups of people, usually member of the military or the economic
elite.
Direct democracy: a form of government in which citizens met regularly in a popular assembly to
discus issues of the day, pass laws, and vote for leaders.
Republic: an indirect form of democracy in which people elect representatives to make decisions
on their behalf.
Unitary system: a form of government in which all authority is vested in a central government from
which regional and local governments derive their powers.
Federal system: a form of political organization in which power is divided among a central
government and territorial subdivisions; in the United States power is shared among the national,
state, and local governments.
Confederal system: an alliance of independent states manifesting a degree of national unity
through a central government of united powers (U.S. under Articles of Confederation).
Presidential system: a form of government headed by a president who is elected by the people
for a limited term of office and whose powers are balanced by an elected legislature.
Parliamentary system: a form of government in which the chief executive is the leader whose party
holds the most seats in the legislature after an election or whose party forma a major part of the
ruling coalition.
Forms of Government
Main Idea
Different forms of governments are categorized based on who
exercises authority and how power is organized.
Reading Focus
• What are the classic forms of government?
• How is national power organized differently in unitary, federal,
and confederal systems?
• In what ways do presidential and parliamentary systems differ?
The Power of Government
1. Monarchy
2. Dictatorship
• Government is headed by one person
with supreme authority
• One person, or a small group of people,
holds unlimited power
• In absolute monarchy, powers are
unlimited and unchecked
• Power is maintained by force
• Autocratic government.
• Today, monarchies are rare. In Saudi
Arabia the royal family still hold ultimate
control.
• Constitutional monarchy most common
form today
• Most dictators head authoritarian or
totalitarian regimes.
• Examples: Hitler, Stalin, Mao Zedong,
Kim Jong Il.
• Often gain power through force or
violently overthrowing the government.
– Monarch is ceremonial head of state
• An oligarchy is led by a small group of
people
– Real power belongs to another part
of the government
• Dictatorships can be secular or
theocracies
– Great Britain, Spain, and Japan are
some examples.
Lord Acton “Power tends to corrupt
and absolute power tends to corrupt
absolutely.
3.Democracy
• “Rule by the people”
• In a pure democracy, the people make major government decisions through a
process of majority rule.
• In a direct democracy, such as Athens, citizens meet regularly to discuss
issues and vote for leaders. Works best in small communities.
• Athens was actually an elite-based system.
• In a republic, the people elect representatives to make decisions on their
behalf.
• In a representative democracy, the people are the source of authority.
– Elected representatives closely follow the wishes of the people
– Elections are free and fair
– Everyone can participate equally in the political process
National power
4.Unitary systems
• Consists of a number of smaller
administrative units
• Sovereignty rests in a single, national
government with ultimate authority
• Control can be centralized or spread
across geographic regions
• Has the power to change or abolish
local governments
• Examples: United Kingdom, France,
Japan.
5.Federal systems
• Divides power between a national
government and smaller regional
governments
• Levels act independently, but cannot
abolish or reorganize the other level
• Examples: United States
6. Confederal systems
• Independent states join forces in a
central government
• States delegate limited powers to the
central government for common
interests. Rare form of government.
• Past Examples: Articles of
Confederation
• Present Examples: United Arab
Emirates, European Union.
Page 17
7.Presidents and Parliaments
• Governments are formed through historical circumstances.
• Today most countries have some form of democratic government, either a
presidential system or a parliamentary system.
8.Presidential
9.Parliamentary
• President—Elected by the people for
a limited term of office
• Most democracies modeled after British
system
• Head of state and in charge of
executive branch.
• Executive and legislative combined
• Prime minister chosen by and from
parliament (elected legislature); member of
• Deals with cabinet members, policy,
majority party
armed forces, foreign affairs, domestic
legislation
• Appoints cabinet members from majority
party
• Appoints cabinet members to deal
with bureaucracies.
• If the prime minister ever loses support of
the majority party, he or she must resign
• Powers checked by legislative branch
immediately along with the cabinet
members. New election is called
immediately.
Page 18