Government

Definition:

• system or group of people governing an organized community

• organizational policies are enforced/determining policy

• constitution: statement of its governing principles/philosophy.

• legislature

• executive

• judiciary.

• government: 200 independent national governments

• Obtaining: electoral contest/hereditary succession

5 government types

• Aristocracy: rule by law and order

• Timocracy: rule by honour and duty, e.g. Sparta

• Oligarchy: rule by wealth and market-based-ethics, like a free-trading capitalist state

• Democracy: rule by pure liberty and equality

• Tyranny: rule by fear, like a despot

Forms of government

• Bodies of power→organise society to protect it

• Differences: amount of people/ how chosen/ how ruled

Democracy: people choose

direct democracy: same but every vote counts and chosen by simple majority

Republic: People choose representatives

Presidential democracy: choose president and people in legislature(congress)

Parliamentary democracy: choose representatives legislature(parliament)

Majority party: multiple parties→prime minister

Democracy:

• independent judicial system and freedom of speech.

• courts provide checks on government power

• Federalism: provide power to local governments

Governments lie on spectrum between democracy/autocracy

Democratic backsliding: democracy→ more authoritarian