What: Brief Description
Acquire: How is power obtained?
Citizen Participation: Freedom? Voice?
+
-
Example:

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​Format:

What: Rule by one person who governs unrestricted by constitutional, or conventional laws/restraints

Acquire: Power or force

Participation: None

+: Decisions are made quickly with little debate

-: Decisions are often uneducated/biased

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Dictatorship

​What: Form of government by the people, who are represented through elected officials with a parliament.

Parliament: Legislative group (elected)

Acquire: Through election

Participation: Full citizen participation (vote)

+: Citizens have a voice

-: Decisions are made slowly, typically with a lot of debate.

Parliamentary Democracy

Who is in charge?

What: Form of government by the people, who are represented through elected officials with an elected president as head of state.

Acquire: President is elected through elections by citizens

Participation: Full citizen participation

+: Many freedoms, people have a voice in government

-: Decisions are made slowly (lot of debate)

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Presidential Democracy

What: Government where rulers are identical with dominant religion, and oftentimes mirror or are strongly influenced by religious rules/customs.

Acquire: Religion appoints leader

Participation: None, Religion dictates involvement

+: Stable government, no separation of church + state

-:Live under religious rules/laws regardless if you believe

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Theocracy

Another Example, and the smallest country in the world... The Vatican City.

What: Ruled by one person, usually a king/queen whose actions are not restricted by law/policy

Acquire: Rule by heredity (passed down) justified by divine right.

Divine Right: God ordained rule

Participation: Little to none

+: Stable (know what to expect), fast decisions

-: Brutal, People are afraid to question, decisions uneducated

​Absolute Monarchy

Today there are not many, but a very famous absolute monarchy that we will learn about is in France during the 17th Century with Louis XIV (16th)

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Absolute Monarchies in History

What: Form of government with a constitution with a hereditary monarch as "Head of State"

Acquire: Heredity, defend with Divine Right

Participation: Some, depends on constitution

+: Constitution provides individual rights

-: People do not choose leader, Head of State still has some power

Example: Great Britain

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Constitutional Monarchy