Citizen Participation in Government

Autocracy

■A country, state,

or society
governed by
ONE person with
absolute power.

■ An autocracy maintains power

through inheritance or ruthless
use of military and police power.

■Inheritance/Hereditary/Direct

Descendant = the title is passed
down through family or
bloodline.

One form of Autocracy is a…..

Dictatorship

■ Single Leader.

■ The government tries to control all aspects of social and

economic life.

■ Violent, military force.

■ Citizens are treated poorly, have no rights or say in

anything

■ Example: Saddam Hussein & Adolf Hitler.

Absolute Monarchy

■ The king, queen, or emperor exercises the

supreme powers of government with unlimited
power.

■ The position is usually inherited.

■ People lack the power to limit their rulers.

■ Absolute monarchs are rare today.
■ (Example: Saudi Arabia).

A second form of Autocracy is…

Oligarchy

■ An oligarchy is a government by a

small group of people.

■ Citizens have a very limited role.

Democracy

■ a government in which the supreme

power is vested (given to) in the people
and exercised by them directly or
indirectly through a system of
representation usually involving
periodically held free elections.

■ Citizen participation is HIGH in countries

with a democratic government.

Two Types of Democracies

Presidential Democracy

■ Leader = President

■ He or she is elected by citizens

to lead a branch of
government (the executive
branch, which enforces laws).

■ There are two other branches

of government, the legislative
branch (creates laws) and the
judicial branch (votes on laws).

■ Ex: United States

Parliamentary Democracy

■ Citizens elect representatives to a parliament to make

the laws and decisions for the country.

■ This parliament directly represents the people and then

together, they vote on the Prime Minister, who is the
head of the legislative branch (makes the laws).

■ In a parliamentary democracy, the Prime Minister is the

boss. There is still a president, but his role is ceremonial
(meaning, his job isn’t as important, he just stands and
waves).

Parliamentary Democracy

■ Leader = Prime

Minister

■ The Prime Minister is

the head of
government
(legislative
branch).

■ Examples: Israel &

Turkey