CIVICS UNIT 2 FORMS OF GOVERNMENT

Autocracy

one person has all the power; Ex.: absolute monarchies, dictatorships

Theocracy

religious laws are used to rule; can take different forms

Oligarchy

rule by a few (small group); can be a military group or Junta, a noble family, political party

Democracy

rule by the people; citizens participate in government

Direct Democracy

Everyone votes and participates in government

Representative Democracy

citizens elect representatives to make decisions; also known as a republic

Monarchy

power held by one person who inherited the power from his/her family

Anarchy

no one is in charge; no form of government

Communism

society where all property and wealth is distributing equally; no social classes because everyone is equal; usually one ruler

Socialism

government controls the economy to protect the people; usually ruled by a small group of people

Confederal

a form of government where there is an association of independent states; each state retains a lot of power and the central government gets it authority from the independent states

The U.S. had a confederal form of government at first but it did not work.

Parliamentary

a form of government where all the power rests in a legislative body and the leader of the country is a member of the Parliament and has no more power than its members

Unitary

a form of government where all the power rests in a central government; the country can be divided into states but they have no power of their own