SSCG One:
Systems of Government
Click the link below for an introductory video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBFXD06fudM&list=PLNdodRGtOj01FpQB1NcZaq3K0u-CUuj5Y
What you will cover in this unit.
SSCG One. Compare and contrast various systems of government.
a. Determine how governments differ in geographic distribution of power, particularly unitary, confederal, and federal types of government.
b. Determine how some forms of government differ in their level of citizen participation particularly authoritarian (autocracy and oligarchy) and democratic.
c. Determine how the role of the executive differs in presidential and parliamentary systems of governments.
d. Differentiate between a direct democracy, representative democracy, and/or a republic.
What is a constitution?
A constitution is a written plan for how a government is to operate and function.
In order for a government to operate effectively and efficiently it should have a constitution.
Link to the Constitution of the United States.
https://www.senate.gov/about/origins-foundations/senate-and-constitution/constitution.htm
Key point: Different types of governments have different types of constitutions.
Examples:
North Korea: Dictatorship with a Communist economy.
The United States: Democratic Republic with a Capitalist economy.
Iran: Theocracy with a mixed, centrally planned economy that features a large public sector economy. This means state ownership of oil and other large enterprises, along with private sector economies in agriculture, trade, and services.
Naturally, these countries will have different constitutions.
Regardless, of the type of government, a national constitution should:
(These are of course minimal requirements of a national constitution).
a. Determine how governments differ in geographic distribution of power, particularly unitary, confederal, and federal types of government.
Governments differ greatly in terms of the geographic distribution of power. Governments tend to be classified by the manner in which they distribute political power. Generally, in terms of power distribution, we consider three types of government. They are:
Unitary | Federal | Confederal |
A system of political organization in which most or all of the governing power resides in a centralized government, in contrast to a federal state. | Federalism is a system of government in which the same territory is controlled by two levels of government. Generally, an overarching national government is responsible for broader governance of larger territorial areas, while the smaller subdivisions, states, and cities govern the issues of local concern. | Confederacy is a system of government for those who want to keep the power in each state and give only limited power to the national government. Contemporarily, no confederacies exist formally, although several existed in the past (for instance, the United States in 1776-1789). |
Countries with a Unitary system of gov’t include: China and the United Kingdom. | Countries with a Federal system of gov’t include the United States, Federal Republic of Germany, and Australia. | Countries with a Confederal system of gov’t include the Soviet Union (1922-1991) Switzerland, and the Confederate States of America, 1861-1865, and ancient Greece. |
How does each system of government distribute political power?
Distribution of power in a Unitary system of Government | Distribution of power in a Federal system of Government | Distribution of power in a Confederal system of Government |
The Central government holds all the power. The central government may choose to delegate power to regional or local governments if they choose to. | In a Federal system of government, power is shared and/or delegated between the national government and smaller entities known as state or provincial governments. | In a Confederal system of government, different states form an alliance to work together to achieve a common goal. Each state is self- governing. Generally confederations do not last and break up. |
Unitary System of Government | Federal System of Government | Confederal System of Government |
Example: China The President of China Chinese Communist Party.
Develops policies and distributes power to local provincial governments. Governs the people of China | Example: United States Federal Government of the U.S. (Executive, legislative, and Judicial Branches) Creates policies and shares certain powers with state governments.
Governs the people within its state jurisdictions. | Example: European Union (E.U.) |
E.U.
France
Germany
Sweden
Denmark
More about Confederacies
Historically, confederacies have formed to meet a common goal. After the goal was achieved, the confederacy would dissolve or break up because there was no longer a need to remain together.
Famous confederacies included the Delian League and the Peloponnesian Leagues from ancient Greece, the Confederacy from the American Civil War, Tecumseh’s Confederacy, and of course the German Confederacy.
In the past, Confederacies have formed for reasons of mutual protection from a common enemy..
The European Union is a confederacy that was created mainly for economic cooperation.
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is another example of a confederacy based on mutual protection.
b. Determine how some forms of government differ in their level of citizen participation particularly authoritarian (autocracy and oligarchy) and democratic.
As previously stated, governments differ greatly. Governments also differ in terms of how they allow their citizens to participate in their respective governments.
Let’s start with some definitions.
Autocracy- Is a system of government where one person, an Autocrat, holds all the power.
Example: Vladimir Putin of Russia.
Oligarchy- Is a system of government where a small group of individuals holds all the power.
Example: The religious leader(s) of Iran.
Democracy- Is a system of government where power is vested with the citizens of the country. Using their power as citizens , they elect other people to govern them.
Example: The elected president, senators, and representatives of the U.S. government.
b. Determine how some forms of government differ in their level of citizen participation particularly authoritarian (autocracy and oligarchy) and democratic.
Other forms of government to consider
Monarchy- Rule by a King or a Queen. Example: Saudi Arabia. (Monarchies could be considered as an Autocratic form of government).
Theocracy- Rule by religious leader. In the case of Iran, the Ayatollah holds political power along with other Shiite religious leaders that advise him. (Theocracies are usually considered to be Oligarchies because of the need to involve the existing religious establishment).
Monarch: Crown Prince Salman Theocrat: Ayatollah ali Khamenei Theocrat
c. Determine how the role of the executive differs in presidential and parliamentary systems of governments.
Presidential and Parliamentary systems of government generally tend to be Democratic in nature. Their roles are similar;yet, they are different.
Role of the Executive in a Presidential System |
The President functions as the chief executive officer of a nation. He or she has broad powers, but they are primarily concerned with enforcing all laws passed by the legislative branch of government. |
Role of the Executive in a Parliamentary System |
The Parliament is a legislative body that is made up of several political parties. Generally, the majority party elects a Prime Minister. This elected Prime Minister is answerable to Parliament and functions as the chief executive with powers given to him by Parliament. |
d. Differentiate between a direct democracy, representative democracy, and/or a republic.
Direct democracy, representative democracy, and/or a republic are terms that may tend to confuse people. For matters of simplicity, these terms refer to how Democracy is applied.
In a Direct Democracy, all citizens have the right to take part in government. In a country with a large population, this is not feasible.
In a Representative Democracy,citizens vote for representatives who then vote on policy initiatives; as opposed to direct democracy, a form of democracy in which people vote on policy initiatives directly.
In a Republic, power rests with the people. The people exercise this power by voting in elections on who they choose to govern them.
There are main types of Democracy
Types of Democracy
Direct
Democracy
Republic
Representative Democracy
Origins of Democracy
(Different forms of the same thing)
Direct Democracy…
Originated in the city-state of Athens, Greece in approximately the Fifth Century BCE.
Representative Democracy…
Originated in the Roman Republic
Republic …
Originated in the Roman Republic around 509 BCE.
(Combined Athenian Direct Democracy with the concept of a Roman Republic)
What about Communism?
Communism is an economic system. It is not a political system. Generally speaking, Communism is the economic approach that is used by Autocratic or Totalitarian governments to perpetuate their governments. The government decides what will be produced as well how many units will be produced.
Some authors use the terms “bullets or butter” to describe the differences between Communism and Capitalism.
In a Capitalist society market forces such as supply and demand dictate whether bullets or butter is produced as well as how much will be produced.
In a Communist society the government dictates whether bullets or butter is produced as well as how much will be produced.
The End!