Middle East Government Vocabulary

government in which the citizens vote for the legislature and the legislature then elects or selects the chief executive or head of government (usually called the prime minister)

• presidential
• parliamentary
• oligarchy
• autocracy

the knowledge and skills that make it possible for workers to earn a living producing goods or services

• human capital
• capital goods
• entrepreneurship
• market economy

citizens vote for the legislature as well as directly vote for the chief executive or head of government (president)

• parliamentary
• oligarchy
• democracy
• presidential

the factories, machines, and technology that people use to make products to sell

• human capital 
• GDP
• corporations
• capital goods

government where one person has absolute power and the citizens have little or no rights

• autocracy
• democracy
• oligarchy
• theocracy

a system in which a political party or other small group takes over a government and makes all of the major decisions; government by the few

• unitary
• democracy
• autocracy
• oligarchy

government where power comes from the people; citizens participate by voting and have many rights

• federal
• autocracy
• oligarchy
• democracy

The leader of a parliamentary system is often called the

• king 
• president
• governor
• prime minister

The primary difference between presidential and parliamentary governmental systems is that in a parliamentary system the chief executive is chosen by the 

• courts
• president
• people 
• legislature

The citizens of Israel have more influence over the election of their leader than the citizens of Saudi Arabia do. Why is that?

• Israel actually does not have a leader so in reality the citizens cannot influence the government at all.
• The citizens of Israel elect the legislature, who then elects the prime minister, while in Saudi Arabia the monarch is decided through the royal bloodline.
• Israel is a monarchy, and the only election in which citizens are allowed to participate is for the prime minister, while in Saudi Arabia, all major officials are elected.
• In Saudi Arabia the leader is chosen through a parliamentary democracy, and in Israel the prime minister is chosen by the popular vote by selected citizens.