Government Vocabulary Terms

Government Vocabulary Terms

6th Grade Social Studies

We will be looking at two different types of govenments...

Autocratic Governments and Decomcratic Governments

Autocracy

a type of government where one person has unlimited power and the citizens have little, if any, role in the government

Autocracy

Example Sentence: Kim Jong-un is the leader of an autocratic government in North Korea.

Democracy

a type of government where ultimate power is given to the people through a system of representation, usually involving free elections

Democracy

Example Sentence: If everyone gets to participate in their government, that is a democracy.

Multiple Choice

Which type of government gives the people the ultimate power by letting them vote?

• Autocracy

• Democracy

Political Party

organization that represents specific political goals and positions with a country

Political Party

Example Sentence: My beliefs are most like the beliefs of the Smurf political party.

There are two types of Democracies we will learn about...

Parliamentary Democracy and Presidential Democracy

Parliamentary Democracy

when executive power given to a group made up of members of the legislature, may have a prime minister elected by the parliament

Parliamentary Democracy

Example Sentence: Anyone living in a parliamentary democracy can elect their legislature.

Parliament

a nation’s elected officials who serve in the legislature as law makers, only in a parliamentary democracy

Parliament

Example Sentence: Parliament passed a law allowing Mrs. Tillman to bring her dogs to school with her.

Legislature

a group of elected law makers in a county’s government

Legislature

Example Sentence: The legislature immediately outlawed wearing yellow sock at school.

Multiple Choice

True or False: Parliament and a legislature are the same thing.

• True, Parliament = a legislature

• False, Parliament is not a legislature.

Prime Minister

the head of government in parliamentary democracy

Prime Minister

Example Sentence: The Prime Minister of McIntania tried to come to an agreement with the Queen of Tillmania.

Chancellor

the head of government in Germany, another name for prime minister

Chancellor

Example Sentence: The chancellor of Germany will be visiting the United States this week.

Multiple Choice

True or False: A prime minister and a chancellor are the same job.

• True, the only difference is a chancellor is in German government.

• False, they are two completely different jobs.

Presidential Democracy

when a president is elected by the people separately from the legislature (law makers)

Presidential Democracy

Example Sentence: We have the most citizen participation in a presidential democracy because we can elect the leader and the legislature.

Multiple Choice

What type of democracy gives the people more choice?

• A Parliamentary Democracy

• A Presidential Democracy

Republic

a system in which citizens elect leaders to represent them instead of citizens directly participating in every decision in government

Republic

Example Sentence: We are a republic, so people represent us in the government and make decisions on our behalf.

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