This document provides an overview of different forms of government throughout history and in the modern world. It begins by discussing ancient forms like city-states, empires, and feudalism. It then covers the origins of democracy in Athens and Rome. The document outlines the rise of absolute monarchies and different totalitarian systems in the 20th century like communism, fascism, and Nazism. Finally, it analyzes modern forms of government including monarchies, dictatorships, theocracies, single-party states, direct democracies, and parliamentary and presidential representative democracies.

1. Chapter Two
Forms of Government
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2. Which groups should
have the power to make
the rules at WHS?
• principal
• teachers
• student council
• students
• other (specify)
2.1
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3. Comparing Forms of Government
(Introduction)
 The United Nation is an international organization
that is intended to promote peace and human
rights throughout the world. In 2013, there are
representatives from 193 different countries.
 The governments of these countries are mainly
democracies. A few delegates represent monarchies
and an even smaller number represent dictatorships.
 The Countries of the United Nations have very different
populations, forms of governments and economic
systems.
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4. Section 2 - The Origins and Evolution of
Government
 All societies, large and small, develop some
form of government.
 During prehistoric times, when small bands
of hunter-gatherers wandered the Earth in
search of food and game, the government
might have been as simple as a few elders
making decisions for the group.
 The tribes settled down into permanent
villages due to the invention of farming. This
triggered a change to more formal systems
of governments. Governments had to
change to meet the needs of the new more
complex societies they ruled.

5. Origins -
From City-States to Empires
 Over time, some farming villages grew into cities and city-states.
City State: A sovereign state consisting of a city and
its surrounding territory
 Around 3000 B.C.E., the first city-states arose in Sumer, a region
located in what is today southern Iraq.
 Gradually, power in many city-states became moved to a single
ruler. The strongest of these rulers conquered neighboring city-
states to create the world’s first empires.
 Rulers often declared that the gods had given them the right to
rule. (Divine right of kings)Some rulers even claimed to be gods
themselves. As power passed from father to son in these early
empires, monarchy became the most common form of
government in the ancient world.
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6. The Origins and Evolution of Government
Direct Democracy - Greece
 In the fifth century the Greek city-state of Athens made a
radical change in its form of government and was no longer
ruled by kings and landowners.
 The Athenians reorganized their city-state as a direct
democracy
Direct Democracy: a form of government in which citizens
make public decisions directly, either in an assembly or
through a popular vote
 The Athenian leader Pericles explained that “Our constitution is
a democracy because power is in the hands …of the whole
people “. All free men made all the decisions and took turns
holding office. However, women, slaves, and foreign-born
people living in Athens were not allowed to participate in the
government.2.1
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7. The Origins and Evolution of Government
Representative Democracy- Early Forms of People Power
-Rome-
 In 509 B.C.E., the Roman people overthrew their
monarchy and turned Rome into a republic. Over
time, the Romans set up a representative democracy.
Representative Democracy: a form of government in
which elected representatives make public decisions
for their citizens
 Free men divided into two leadership groups: wealthy
and common. The wealthy had more power and
appointed senators to make the laws.
 The Roman Republic lasted nearly 500 years. During
that time, officials elected by Rome’s citizens continued
to head the government.
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8. The Middle Ages:
Feudalism
 In 31 B.C.E., after 20 years of civil war, the
Roman Empire was established. Power passed
from elected leaders to emperors who held
absolute power for life.
 In parts of Europe once ruled by mighty Rome, the
empire broke into tiny districts, each ruled by a
duke, lord, king, or other noble.
 There was no strong central government to provide
security, each district had to look out for itself. It
often made sense for weak nobles to look to a
nearby, more powerful neighbor for protection. The
powerful lord or local king protected the people in
exchange for their land. In this way, some lords
gained control of very large areas.2.1
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9. The Middle Ages: Feudalism
(continued)
 Many lords acquired more land than they could
manage. They began granting pieces of land, called
fiefs, to tenants. In return, the tenant became the
lord’s vassal. This system was know as feudalism.
Feudalism: exchanging the use of land for military
and other services.
 The vassals also had political obligations. For
example, they all sat together at the lord’s court to
help settle disputes and make laws. Europe’s
parliaments developed from meetings of vassals
called by a lord or king.
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10. The Middle Ages: From Feudalism to
Nation-States
 The 1300s saw the rise of absolute
monarchies, or governments headed
by hereditary rulers who claimed
unlimited powers.
 By the 1700s, several European
countries had become nation-states
headed by absolute monarchs. These
all-powerful rulers based their
legitimacy on the divine right of kings
theory.
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11. The Age of Revolutions:
Democracies and Dictatorships
 Some monarchs ruled with the best interests of their people in
mind. Others ruled as despots, or tyrants, who used their
power for selfish ends.
 Growing dissatisfaction with this form of government triggered a
series of world-altering revolutions, first in Europe and then in
the American colonies.
 The Glorious Revolution, also known as the Bloodless
Revolution, led to the establishment of Europe’s first
constitutional monarchy: a system of government in which the
powers of the monarch are limited by a constitution, either
written or unwritten
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12. The Age of Revolutions:
Democracies and Dictatorships
 The second of these revolutions began in 1775 when
American colonists rebelled against what they saw as
British tyranny. The American Revolution led to the
creation of the first modern constitutional democracy—a
government based on a written constitution
 A third revolution broke out in 1789, when the French
people took up arms against their king. At first the
French Revolution seemed likely to produce another
constitutional democracy. Instead it took a radical turn
and eventually collapsed into chaos. In time Napoleon
Bonaparte restored order, but only by establishing an
authoritarian regime—a system of government in which
the state exercises broad control over the lives of its
citizens.
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13. Totalitarianism
 Napoleon’s approach to governing set the stage for rise of
Totalitarianism in the 20th century. A totalitarian government is an
extreme form of a government that seeks to control almost every
aspect of its citizens’ lives.
 Twentieth-century totalitarianism dates back to the Russian
Revolution of 1917. That revolution overthrew the Russian
monarchy. The revolutionaries established the Soviet Union as the
world’s first state based on communism.
Communism: a system of government in which a single political
party controls both the government and the economy; also, the
theories developed by Karl Marx regarding the development of
an ideal, classless society.
 Communism appealed to many people in the 1900s. It led to the
creation of totalitarian states, first in the Soviet Union and later in
other countries, such as China, Vietnam, and Cuba. In these
states, dictators like Joseph Stalin used spies, secret police, and
government censors to stop all opposition.2.1
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14. Totalitarianism
 A form of Totalitarianism known as fascism first
appeared during the 1920s
fascism: a totalitarian system in which businesses remain
in private hands but under government control
Fascism is like communism because both have control of
citizens’ lives. Unlike communism, however, fascism allows
businesses to remain in private ownership under government
control. Benito Mussolini, the fascist dictator of Italy, used his
power to turn his country into a police state.
 A third type of totalitarianism, Nazism, started in Germany.
Nazism is a variety of fascism built in part on the myth of
racial superiority. After taking power in Germany in
1933, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler launched an extermination
campaign against Jews, Gypsies, and other groups he
defined as “undesirable.”
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15. 2.1
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16. DemocraticTimeline
2.1
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Athensformeddirect
democracy
2200B.C.E.
750B.C.E.
FirstCity-states
City-statesconquered/first
Empires
3000B.C.E.
500B.C.E.
Romefallstoinvading
tribes
0B.C.E.
RomanEmpireformed
476
700Feudalismbeginsin
Europe
1300
Riseofabsolute
monarchies
1775
RiseofNation-states
headedbyMonarchs
1700
1688GloriousRevolution/1st
Constitutionalmonarchy
AmericanRevolution
1789
FrenchRevolution/Riseof
Totalitarianism
1917
RussianRevolutionRevolution/Riseof
Communismanddictatorships2013
Rise of
Democracy
Loss of Democracy
Dark Ages
Rise of Democracy again

17. Section 3
Forms of Government in Today's World
 With the exception of Antarctica, the landmasses on Earth
are divided into nation-states. Almost all have some form of
functioning government.
These governments fall into three major groups:
1. rule by the one (monarchies and dictatorships)
1. rule by the few (theocracies and single-party states)
1. rule by the many (parliamentary and presidential
democracies).
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18. 2.1
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19. Monarchy:
a A system of government in which
a single ruler has supreme
power based on heredity or
divine right
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Pros (+) Cons (-)
• Efficient way of carrying out
decisions and policies since
decisions are made by one
person
• Clear line of succession -
Citizens know who is next in
line for the throne
• Loyalty to the monarch holds
• Quality of leadership can vary
• Dramatically different from
one generation to the next
• Job of running a modern
nation state has become too
big for any ,but the most
exceptional monarchs to do
well

20. Modern Monarchies
 Today’s monarchs go by many names, including king, queen,
sultan, emperor, and Amir. Most have inherited their power and
expect to rule for life. But the modern monarch’s power is rarely as
great as in the days of Louis XIV and other absolute monarchs
 Most monarchs today face strict legal restrictions on their power,
often imposed by a constitution.
 A British monarch, for example, has the formal authority to call
elections and appoint a new prime minister. However, most jobs
are ceremonial. Real power rests with Great Britain’s
democratically elected leaders.
 In contrast, Saudi Arabia’s king exercises broad powers. He
inherits his position and has legislative, executive, and judicial
powers. Only Islamic law and Saudi traditions limit his powers.
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21. Dictatorship:
 A system of government in which a single person
takes and holds power by force. The leader controls
the military and police.
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Pros (+) Cons (-)
• Power is in the hands of a
single military or political
leader who can get things
done efficiently
• Control of the military and
police allows the dictator to
maintain peace and order
• Power can be used to abuse
citizens who oppose the
dictator
• Dictators face serious
legitimacy problems and
citizens may want a new
leader.

22. Modern Dictatorship
 Muammar al-Gaddafi, took control
of Libya in a military coup, in 1969.
A coup is the sudden overthrow of a
government by a small group of
military officers or political leaders.
In February 2011, growing
discontent led to a wave of protests
in Libya, calling for an end to
Gaddafi's rule. Months later, he was
overthrown.
 Mobutu Sese Seko, Zaire’s longtime
dictator, embezzled over $5 billion
from his country.
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Red colored countries are
authoritarian, and most often
dictatorships. Most current
dictatorships are in Africa and
Asia.
Examples of 20th century dictators

23. Theocracy:
A system of government headed by a religious leader.
In ancient city-states, theocracies were common.
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Pros (+) Cons (-)
• Single, state-supported
religion encourages political
and social unity
• Political decisions are in line
with the people’s moral
values and beliefs
• Difficult to enforce religious
unity as the country grows
larger
• Religious minorities may not
have power or may be
mistreated
• Religious warfare may break
out

24. Modern Theocracy
 By 2007, only two theocracies existed in the world:
Vatican City and Iran. Vatican City is the governmental
and spiritual center of the Catholic Church. Although
located in the heart of Rome, Italy, it is an independent
state headed by the Catholic pope.
 Iran changed from a monarchy to a theocracy in 1979.
That year, Iranians expelled their hereditary ruler and
formed an Islamic republic headed by a religious leader
known as the Ayatollah Khomeini.
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25. Single-Party State:
A government in which only one political party is allowed to
rule under the constitution.
Rule by the political elite or leaders of the party who have
more power or wealth then others
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Pros (+) Cons (-)
• Easier to pass laws by
avoiding the political
arguing common in multi-
party states
• The views of the party elite
may differ from the
interests of the people as a
whole, leading to social
unrest
• People with differing
political views are often
shut out of the political
process

26. Modern Single-Party States
 There are a few single-party states today and they are mainly
socialist republics, in which the Communist Party rules. In
Vietnam, for example, the Communist Party is the only legal
political party. Syria is an example of a non-communist single-
party state. It is controlled by the Ba’ath Party, which supports
Arab nationalism and unity. Other single-party countries
include: Cuba, China, North Korea, Laos and Sahrawi Arab
Democratic Republic.
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Brown color represents current single
party countries
Green color represents past single
party countries

27. Direct Democracy:
 A system of government in which public decisions are
made directly by citizens meeting together in an
assembly or voting by ballot
 In the direct democracy of ancient Athens, several thousand
citizens met regularly as an assembly to make decisions for
their city-state.
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Pros (+) Cons (-)
• Each citizen has an equal
say in public affairs
• Decisions have widespread
support
• Very time-consuming for
citizens

28. Modern Direct-Democracies
 In the modern world, no country is governed as a pure
direct democracy. The country that comes closest is
Switzerland. Swiss citizens regularly vote to approve
laws passed by their legislature. Citizens may also
propose laws and submit them directly to voters. Voter
turnout is often low, because people are tired of
frequent elections.
 Limited forms of direct democracy exist in the United
States. One is the New England town meeting, where
townspeople meet to discuss and solve local problems.
Public policy can also be changed through the
referendum process. Citizens may also be able to vote
an elected official out of office by means of a recall
election.
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29. Parliamentary and Presidential Forms of
Democratic Governments
Most countries today have adopted one of two forms of representative democracy:
1. parliamentary democracy
2. presidential democracy.
Both forms use elections to choose national leaders, but they are different in other ways.
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30. Parliamentary Democracy:
A system of government in which voters elect
lawmakers to represent them in the nation’s
parliament; The leaders of the executive branch
come from the ruling party in parliament.
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Pros (+) Cons (-)
• members of the legislative majority
usually vote with the prime minister
or chancellor on key issues, making
it easier to get laws passed.
• no clear-cut separation between the
executive and legislative, so
no real check on the prime minister’s
powers
• prime minister can be forced to
resign, leading to an unstable
government

31. Modern Parliamentary Democracies
 The United Kingdom, India, and Australia are
examples of parliamentary democracies.
 In a parliamentary democracy the voters elect
lawmakers to represent them in the nation’s
parliament. The legislative majority then selects
a member of parliament to serve as the nation’s
prime minister, or chief executive.
 In a parliamentary democracy, there is no real
separation between the executive and
legislative branches of government.
 Prime ministers remain in power only as long
as they have the support of the parliament. If
the parliament has a vote of no confidence, the
prime minister must resign
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32. Presidential Democracy:::
A system of government in which voters elect lawmakers to
represent them in the legislature and a president to lead the
government as head of the executive branch
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Pros (+) Cons (-)
• President may be more
responsive to the public than
to the party
• Separation of executive and
legislative
• Powers allow each branch to
watch over the other to
prevent abuses of power
• Fixed terms of office creates
• No easy way to remove an
unpopular president from
power
• Gridlock may result when a
president is not from the
party that controls the
legislature
• Difficult to remove the
president from office before
their terms end

33. Modern Presidential Democracies
 The U.S. was not formed as a pure democracy, but as a
republic where voters elect representatives and electors
 Most modern democracies are organized as a representative
republic, where citizens vote in elections with two or more
people who run for office. These people have actual powers to
change current laws in the country and bring about reforms
(either more liberal or more conservative).
 The reason why democracy has succeeded over every other
form of government is because people have a peaceful way of
removing leaders they no longer want.
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34. 2.1
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Greener colors represent
Democratic Countries
Modern Presidential Democracies - continued
The United States, Russia, and most countries in Latin America
are presidential democracies.
Countries categorized by the Democracy Index 2011 as Full democracy
include: Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, New Zealand, Australia,
Switzerland, Canada, Finland, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Ireland, Austria,
Germany, Malta, Czech Republic, Uruguay, United Kingdom, United States,
Costa Rica, Japan, South Korea, Belgium, Mauritius and Spain
Democracies that are troubled with one or more of the following problems: Non-
Elected people have a Strong Say in Government, Voter Fraud, Election Non-
Recognition, Frequent government overthrows (coups). A list of such countries
would include: Mexico, Venezuela, Ukraine, Russia, Iran, Most of Sub-Saharan
Africa, Thailand, Italy, Lebanon, and Egypt.

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