Power

The Distribution of Power in
Governments Today

Lesson 2.3

Intro:

●In almost all nation-states, government power is exercised at a minimum
of two levels: national and regional.

●How power is distributed between these two levels depends on which
system of government a country has:

○unitary, federal, or confederal.

Multiple Choice

Unitary, Federal, and Confederation are all terms that describes how countries_________

• Build their economies

• Distribute Power

• Distribute wealth

Unitary System

●Constitution concentrates power in the national, or central, government.

○ regional governments exercise only those powers given to them by the national
government.

○MOST COMMON

○Ex’s: Great Britain and Japan

●ADVANTAGES?

Multiple Choice

Central government holds all the power

• Confederation

• Unitary

• Federal

• Oligarchy

Federal System

●Constitution divides power between the national government and the
regional government

●A federal system of government is most likely to be adopted in large
countries with diverse populations.

○Ex’s: India and US

●ADVANTAGES?

Multiple Choice

Power is shared by the central and regional government.

• Unitary

• Federal

• Democracy

• Confederation

Confederal System

●Power resides in the regions, which are independent states.

●Regions grant only as much power to the national government as needed
to maintain security and to coordinate activities among the regions.

●No nation-state is organized as a confederation today.

●ADVANTAGES?

Multiple Choice

Rare form of government. Weak national government. Different laws in each state or territory Which systems is being described?

• Confederation

• Federal

• Unitary

Multiple Choice

Which form of power distribution would be WORST for a country with a large population?

• Unitary

• Confederal

• Federal

• Autocracy

Government

Autocracy and Democracy

Government

Autocracy and Democracy

Multiple Select

What are the two FORMS of government we are learning about?

• Autocracy

• Democracy

• Presidential

• Parliamentary

​Autocracy

• ​Dictatorship

• ​Absolute Monarchy

Multiple Choice

How does a dictator get power in a DICTATORSHIP?

• He or she gets elected by the majority in a country.

• He or she gets appointed by the President.

• He or she gets power from their religious deity.

• He or she takes control with military force.

​Dictatorship

• ​Takes power with military FORCE

• ​Rules by fear

• ​Usually passes power to next general before dying or retiring.

Absolute Monarchy

• ​Receives power to rule from deity.

• ​Rules with "divine right"

• ​Passes crown onto child, usually first born male heir.

Multiple Choice

In an absolute monarchy and a dictatorship, there are how many people in control?

• One

• Two

• A group or family

• Zero

• ​Presidential

• ​Parliamentary

​Democracy

Multiple Choice

Which type of democracy has a Prime Minister?

• Presidential Democracy

• Parliamentary Democracy

Parliamentary Democracy

• ​Voters vote for members of parliament.

• Members of Parliament have a political party

• The political party with the most people in it win leadership.

• The leading political party then gets to choose who the prime minister is.

• Its an indirect election process or Two-Step​

Multiple Choice

In this example, which political party would get to choose the prime minister?

• Blue Party

• Red Party

• Yellow Party

• Orange Party

​Presidential Democracy

• ​People vote for the president themselves.

• ​People vote the representatives themselves.

• ​The representatives make draft-laws, and the president approves or rejects them.

• ​It is a direct election process, or One-Step

Multiple Select

Which of the following applies to a Presidential D?

• People have a direct say in who is leader.

• The leader is in the same house as the representatives.

• The leader is in a separate branch from the representatives.

• People have an indirect say in who is leader.

Multiple Choice

The title of a leader in a presidential democracy is:

• president

• prime minister

• dictator

• king

​Constitutional Monarchy

​Absolute Monarchies exist, but they are rare. The more common form of monarchy is Constitutional Monarchy. In this form of government, the representatives make the laws, and the king or queen serve as a more figure head role. The monarch has very little power in constitutional monarchies, and they are limited by the laws that parliament passes.

Multiple Select

What two types of government create a Constitutional Monarchy?

• Absolute Monarchy

• Dictatorship

• Presidential Democracy

• Parliamentary Democracy

Types of Government

By Heather Shirey

form of government in which power rests with the people, either directly or through elected representatives.

Democracy

a system of government of a republic where the executive branch is elected separately from the legislative.

Presidential Democracy

a system of government in which people elect representatives to a parliament to make laws and choose the head of state

Parliamentary Democracy

a single person has all legal and political power, and makes all decisions by himself or herself.

Autocracy

Multiple Choice

In which form of government do the people have more power?

• Parliamentary Democracy

• Autocracy

• Monarchy

• Presidential Democracy

Multiple Choice

Which country is currently under a presidential democracy?

• The United States

• United Kingdom

• Cuba

• Canada

Multiple Choice

Which country is currently under an autocratic rule?

• The United States

• Canada

• Mexico

• Cuba

Poll

Which type of government do you think is best?

• Presidential democracy

• Parliamentary democracy

• Autocracy

• Monarchy

WATCH THIS VIDEO

Multiple Choice

 In Patrick's country the president is very powerful. There is a legislature in which citizens are elected to serve, but it can only advise the president. The president makes all decisions and controls the civilian government and the military.

What type of government does this scenario describe?

• Presidential democracy

• Parliamentary democracy

• Monarchy

• Autocratic government

Multiple Choice

 In Rochelle's country, everybody over the age of twenty-one is eligible to vote on who they want to serve in the national legislature. The legislature then enacts laws to govern the country and appoints an executive.

What type of government does this scenario describe?

• Democracy

• Monarchy

• Autocracy

• Oligarchy

Multiple Choice

In Marilyn's country, citizens vote for the political party they prefer over the others. The legislature appoints an executive leader to enforce laws enacted by the legislature.

What type of government does this scenario describe?

• Presidential Democracy

• Monarchy

• Autocracy

• Parliamentary Democracy