Geographic Distribution of Power . . .
In every system of government the power to govern is located in one or more places, geographically. From
this standpoint, three basic forms of government exist: unitary, federal, and confederate governments.
A unitary government is often described as a centralized government. All powers held by the government belong to a single, central agency.
The central (national) government creates local units of government for its own convenience. Those local governments have
only those powers that the central government chooses to give them.
Most governments in the world are unitary in form. Great Britain is a classic illustration.
A single central organization, the Parliament, holds all of the government’s power. Local governments exist solely to
relieve Parliament of burdens it could perform only with difficulty and inconvenience. Though unlikely, Parliament could do
away with these and other agencies of local government at any time.
Be careful not to confuse the unitary form of government with a dictatorship. In the unitary
form, all of the powers held by the government are concentrated in the central government. That government might not have
all power, however. In Great Britain, for example, the powers held by the government
are limited. British government is unitary and, at the same time, democratic.
A federal government is one in which the powers of government are divided between a central government and several local governments.
An authority superior to both the central and local governments makes this division of powers on a geographic basis; and that division cannot be changed by
either the local or national level acting alone. Both levels of government act directly on the people through their own sets
of laws, officials, and agencies.
In the United States, for example, the National Government has certain powers and the 50 States have others.
This division of powers is set out in the Constitution of the United States. The Constitution stands above both levels of
government; and it cannot be changed unless the people, acting through both the National Government and the States, agree
to that change.
Australia, Canada, Mexico, Switzerland, Germany, India, and some 20 other states also have federal forms
of government today. In the United States, the phrase “the Federal Government” is often used to identify the National
Government, the government headquartered in Washington, D.C. Note, however, that each of the 50 State governments in this
country is unitary, not federal, in form.
A confederation is an alliance of independent states. A central organization, the confederate government, handles only those matters
that member states assign to it. Typically, the powers of confederate governments have been limited to the fields of defense
and trade.
Most often, they have not had the power to make laws that apply directly to individuals, at least not
without some further action by the member states. A confederate structure makes it possible for the several states to cooperate
in matters of common concern and, at the same time, retain their separate identities.
Confederations have been rare in the modern world. The European Union (EU) is the closest approach to
one today. The EU has established free trade among its now 25 member-nations, launched a common currency, and seeks to coordinate
its members’ foreign and defense policies. In our own history, the United States under the Articles of Confederation
(1781 to 1789) and the Confederate States of America (1861 to 1865) are also examples of this form of government.
S-T-O-P READING NOW!
Any Questions?
What else would
you like to know about government? Brainstorm two questions and exchange them with a classmate. What did you learn?
What do you want to get more information about? Stop and discuss/talk/question with a partner for one-two minutes. With
your partner, select one of your questions and write it on the board.
And then, READ on.......
Who Can Participate?.........
The Role of the Citizen
To many people, the most meaningful of the classifications is the one that depends on the number of persons
who can take part in the governing process. Here are some basic forms to consider: Autocratic, Oligarchic,Theocracy,
Monarchy, and Democratic.
An autocratic government is one in which one person possesses unlimited power and the citizen has little
if any role in the government.
An Oligarchic government is "government by the few", It is sometimes a government in which a small group
exercises control, especially for corrupt and selfish perposes. The citizen has a very limited role.
A Theocracy government is one ruled by, or subject to, religious authority.
A monarchy is undivided rule by a single person.
In a democracy, supreme political authority rests with the people. The people hold the sovereign power,
and government is conducted only by and with the consent of the people.
Abraham Lincoln gave immortality to this definition of democracy in his Gettysburg Address in 1863: “government
of the people, by the people, for the people.” Nowhere is there a better, more concise statement of the American understanding
of democracy.
A democracy can be either direct or indirect in form. A direct democracy, also called a pure democracy,
exists where the will of the people is translated into public policy (law) directly by the people themselves, in mass meetings.
This can work only in very small communities, where it is possible for the citizenry to meet in a central place, and where
the problems of government are few and relatively simple.
Direct democracy does not exist at the national level anywhere in the world today.
Americans are more familiar with the indirect form of democracy—that is, with representative democracy.
In a representative democracy, a small group of persons, chosen by the people to act as their representatives, expresses the
popular will. These agents of the people are responsible for carrying out the day-to-day conduct of government—the making
and executing of laws and so on. They are held accountable to the people for that conduct, especially at periodic elections.
At these elections, the people have an opportunity to express their approval or disapproval of their representatives
by casting ballots for or against them. To put it another way, representative democracy is government by popular consent—government
with the consent of the governed.
Some people insist that the United States is more properly called a republic rather than a democracy.
They hold that in a republic the sovereign power is held by those eligible to vote, while the political power is exercised
by representatives chosen by and held responsible to those citizens. For them, democracy can be defined only in terms of direct
democracy.
Many Americans use the terms democracy, republic, representative democracy,
and republican form of government interchangeably, although they are not the same things.
Whatever the terms used, remember that in a democracy the people are sovereign. They are the only source for any and all of
government’s power. In other words, the people rule.
S-T-O-P Reading! Let's write an Acrostic Poem with what we have learned, thus far.
With a partner, brainstorm a line that can be added to a poem started on the board.
Remember: An Acrostic Poem is written so that the theme of the poem is spelled out
by the first letter in each line. Reading down across the lines produces the subject of the poem, thus it is called acrostic.
The mood of the poem should match the theme.
Be sure to read the other lines that have already been written so that you do not
repeat infromation, and so that you keep poetry elements evident in your line. (Rhyme? Rhythm? Pattern?)
Two Forms of Democratic
Government-Based On The Relationship Between Legislative and Executive Branches
Political scientists also classify governments based on the relationship between
their legislative and executive agencies. This grouping yields two basic forms of government: presidential and parliamentary.
Presidential Government
In a presidential government, the executive and legislative branches of the government are separate, independent of one
another, and coequal. The chief executive (president) is chosen independently of the legislature, holds office for a fixed
term, and has broad powers not subject to the direct control of the legislative branch.
The two branches regularly have several powers with which each can block actions
by the other branch. Usually, as in the United States, a written constitution provides for the separation of powers between
the branches.
The United States is the world’s leading example of presidential government.
In fact, the United States invented the form. Most of the other presidential systems in the world are also found in the Western
Hemisphere.
S-T-O-P Reading Now! With a (different) partner discuss.....
In which form of government is the chief executive both elected from and part of the legislature?
Parliamentary Government
In parliamentary government, the executive is made up of the prime minister or premier, and that official’s cabinet.
The prime minister and cabinet themselves are members of the legislative branch, the parliament. The prime minister is the
leader of the majority party or of a likeminded group of parties in parliament and is chosen by that body. With parliament’s
approval, the prime minister selects the members of the cabinet from among the members of parliament. The executive is thus
chosen by the legislature, is a part of it, and is subject to its direct control.
The prime minister and the cabinet (often called “the government”) remain
in office only as long as their policies and administration have the support of a majority in parliament. If the parliament
defeats the prime minister and cabinet on an important matter, the government may receive a “vote of no confidence,”
and the prime minister and his cabinet must resign from office. Then a new government must be formed. Either parliament chooses
a new prime minister or, as often happens, all the seats of parliament go before the voters in a general election.
A majority of the governmental systems in the world today are parliamentary, not
presidential, in form—and they are by a wide margin. Parliamentary government avoids one of the major problems of the
presidential form: prolonged conflict and sometimes deadlock between the executive and legislative branches. On the other
hand, it should be noted that the checks and balances of presidential government are not a part of the parliamentary system.
Interpreting Diagrams..............Compare
presidential and parliamentary forms of government.
S-T-O-P.....
INDIVIDUAL PROJECT ASSIGNMENT: Design A Board Game Using the
Details & Facts of This Government/Civic Understandings Activity! (Use your graphic organizer and notes to provide
structure and details for your game.)
-
Be sure to clearly write all the rules of your game.
Your game should be fun to play, and educational.
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Have the rules, the game board, game pieces or other items needed
to play your game, in class next week on the due date. GOVERNMENT GAME DAY!
LET THE RUBRIC FOR THIS ACTIVITY GUIDE YOU!
