Limited and unlimited Government

Limited and Unlimited Governments

By Lon Thrasher

What's the difference?

Limited: Government has limits on it. People have power. Change is easier.

Unlimited: The government can do whatever it wants.​ Ruler does what they want.

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​Which one is a democracy?

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​Limited or Unlimted

A system of government where ONE person has absolute power. It can be a dictator or an absolute monarchy. North Korea and Russia are autocratic. This is a form on UNLIMITED GOVERNMENT.

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​Example: North Korea's Dictator

​Autocracy

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A small group of people (few) controlling the government. This could be one political party - like we see in China (Communist Party) or one religion, race or wealthy families. ​

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Government by FEW.

​Oligarchy

Government controlled by the whole population or all of the voters of a country. "Governed by MANY." The United States is a republic that is democratic. Japan is a constitutional monarchy, also democratic.

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Governed by many!

​Democracy

Multiple Choice

Democracies are

• Unlimited government that allows people to vote.

• Limited government because people can vote and have a voice in decisions.

• Unlimited government because people cannot vote.

• Limited government because people have only limited rights.

​China is a one party system. We can call this an oligarchy and and UNLIMITED government. Only a few people get to make decisions and rules are very strict.

​China is UNLIMITED

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​Russia is an authoritarian government, where power is centralized. The elections are not thought to be fair, and people who oppose Putin are often imprisoned. Autocracy!

​​Putin's Russia

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​North Korea is a dictatorship, where ONE person has all the power. The leader makes all the decisions and no one can challenge him. People only have the rights he gives them.

​​North Korea

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Multiple Choice

An Autocracy can also be called a

• Limited Government

• Democracy

• Dictatorship

• Constitutional Monarchy

Multiple Choice

In China, only one political party has power. We call this an oligarchy. What else can we call the government of China?

• Limited

• Unlimited

• Democratic

• Constitutional Monarchy

India, Japan and Thailand are some of the countries in Asia that have democratic forms of government.

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​Democratic Republics and Constitutional Monarchies

​Limited Government

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​India has a parliamentary republic (democracy). This is a democratic form of government where people elect members of parliament. These members make the laws. People have rights.

​​India

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Japan is a constitutional monarchy, where citizens elect leaders that make the rules. The Emperor (king) doesn't have much power. People have the power.

​​Japan

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​This is also a constitutional monarchy, where people get to vote and elect their leaders. Constitutional monarchies are democracies, because people elect leaders.

Thailand​​

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​Lawmakers make the rules (laws) and citizens can re-elect them or vote for someone else for change.

​​Democracies ELECT lawmakers

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Parliamentary democracies elect members of parliament who make the rules, and those members of parliament elect the prime minister, who is the leader of the country. ​

​​Parliamentary

​Presidential democracies elect members of congress who make the rules. In this system, the people elect the president, who is the leader of the country.

​​Presidential

Multiple Choice

Parliamentary democracies are

• Limited Government

• Unlimited Government

• Absolute Monarchies

• Autocracies

Multiple Choice

India has a parliamentary democracy. A parliamentary democracy is a

• Elect members of parliament that make the rules.

• Is communist, unlimited government.

• Authoritarian government, where one person makes the rules.

• Absolute Monarchy, where a King is the leader.

Multiple Choice

Which one of these countries is NOT an unlimited government?

• Russia

• India

• China

• North Korea

Multiple Choice

Which one of these countries is NOT a limited government?

• United States

• India

• Japan

• China

Multiple Choice

Which is true about a democratic form of government?

• People elect representatives.

• One leader controls the government.

• A few people control the government.

• A dictator makes all the decisions.

Democracy

A democracy is a form of government in which the ruling power is in the hands of all the people. The word “democracy” comes from the Greek terms demos (meaning “people”) and kratos (meaning “power”).

Early Democracy

Democracy developed in ancient Greece about 500 B.C.E. in the city-state of Athens, where many people began to oppose the rule of the tyrants. The main governing body of the Athenian democracy was the Assembly. The Assembly was open to all 30,000 to 40,000 adult male citizens, but usually only 5,000 people attended.The United States Government can be traced back to early Greece.

Multiple Choice

What is the purpose of the Bill of Rights?

• to guarantee lawmakers freedom to make decisions

• to guarantee the citizens of the United States rights and freedoms

• to guarantee that the church has the right to preside over the citizens of the United States

Multiple Choice

Where can the Bill of Rights be found in the United States Constitution?

• in the preamble

• in the articles

• in the first ten amendments

• in the prologue

Multiple Choice

What are rights?

• freedoms that everyone deserve to enjoy

• things that people cannot do in society

• the things the government has the choice to allow citizens to do

• something that can be taken away if you disagree with the govenment