Africa Govt Peer Work

African Government Peer tutoring

a. Explain citizen participation in autocratic and democratic governments.

African Government Peer tutoring

a. Explain citizen participation in autocratic and democratic governments.

In a democratic government, power lies with the people because they have the power to vote. In different democratic countries, there are different positions the people can fill by voting.

An autocratic government is one in which absolute authority is in one leader.

In an autocracy, the people have few if any rights. They do not get to choose their leaders or vote on laws.

If people disagree with their leader, there is no legal action they can take.

Multiple Choice

Which type of government is being described? Today is the first Tuesday in November. Today is Election Day! Everyone who is over eighteen years old has the right to vote for the leader of his/her country.

• democracy

• monarchy

• dictatorship

• oligarchy

Multiple Choice

What type of government allows the citizens to vote in elections for its leaders?

• democracy

• monarchy

• dictatorship

• oligarchy

Multiple Choice

Which form of government is ruled by ONE

• Autocracy

• Oligarchy

• Democracy

• None of these

Multiple Choice

In an autocracy, who makes most of the important governmental decisions?

• the court

• the people

• an individual ruler

• elected legislature

b. Describe the two predominant forms of democratic governments: parliamentary and presidential.

How do I know which kind of democracy it is?

If the person who has the executive power is chosen by and is a member of the legislature, then it is a parliamentary democracy. If the person who has executive power is chosen directly by the people and is separate from the legislature, then it is a presidential democracy.

Multiple Choice

In this type of government, the elected head of the executive branch acts independently of the legislative and judicial branches.

• Parliamentary Democracy

• Republic

• Presidential Democracy

• Theocracy

Multiple Choice

What is the main DIFFERENCE between a presidential democracy and a parliamentary democracy?

• A President controls a country and a Prime Minister controls a state.

• A Prime Minister does not belong to a political party while a President always does.

• A Prime Minister has more power than a President.

• A President is elected directly by the citizens, while a Prime Minister is elected by the Legislature.

Multiple Choice

What is the main DIFFERENCE between a presidential democracy and a parliamentary democracy?

• A President controls a country and a Prime Minister controls a state.

• A Prime Minister does not belong to a political party while a President always does.

• A Prime Minister has more power than a President.

• A President is elected directly by the citizens, while a Prime Minister is elected by the Legislature.

Multiple Choice

Which BEST describe the two predominant forms of a democratic government?

• dictatorship & republican

• presidential & dictatorship

• parliamentary & presidential

• presidential & confederate

c. Explain the role of citizens in choosing the leaders of South Africa (parliamentary democracy) Nigeria (presidential democracy), and Kenya (presidential democracy).

South Africa

South Africa is a parliamentary democracy. This means the people elect the legislature (Parliament of South Africa), and the legislature chooses the head of government. This head of government is called the president. South Africa is still a parliamentary democracy because its head of government is chosen by the legislative branch that the people choose.

Nigeria

Nigeria is a presidential democracy. This means that it has a head of government (president) and a legislature (National Assembly of Nigeria) that are both directly elected by the people. Nigeria guarantees freedom of speech, expression, and press, although the government has passed laws limiting press freedom and harassing journalists covering corruption in the government and military.

Kenya

Kenya is a presidential democracy. This means that it has a head of government (president) and a legislature (Parliament of Kenya) that are both directly elected by the people. Nigeria guarantees freedom of speech and press. Although there is a large independent media sector, government forces routinely harass members of the press, causing the press to not report some things the government does.

Multiple Choice

How is the president of South Africa chosen?

• He is appointed be the king

• He is elected by the National Assembly (parliament)

• He is chosen by the citizens of the country. (the people)

Multiple Choice

What type of government does South Africa have?

• parliamentary democracy

• presidential democracy

• autocracy

Multiple Choice

What type of government does Nigeria have?

• parliamentary democracy

• presidential democracy

• autocracy

Multiple Choice

What type government does Kenya have?

• parliamentary democracy

• presidential democracy

• autocracy

Multiple Choice

Why does the word “republic” appear in the names of both the Republic of South Africa and the Republic of Sudan when the ruler of Sudan is a dictator?

• There is very little difference between a republican form of government and a dictatorship.

• Regardless of their rulers, governments are free to name themselves whatever they wish.

• Although the ruler of Sudan is a dictator, he has given his people all of the same freedoms as the people in South Africa

• The citizens of Sudan elected their ruler to his position as dictator.