This guided reading document provides questions and prompts to help students summarize key information about forms of government. It includes sections on the importance of government, types of government like democratic and authoritarian, and systems of government such as federal, confederal, and unitary. Students are asked to complete charts, diagrams, and short responses to demonstrate their understanding of how governments provide order and security, make policy, and share or distribute decision-making powers.

1. Guided Reading
NAME _____________________________________________ CLASS ________________ DATE_____________
Americans, Citizenship, and Governments
netw rks
Lesson 4 Forms of Government
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
• Why do people create, structure, and
change governments?
The Importance of Government
1. Identifying As you read, complete the graphic organizer
to show the ways in which governments keep order and
provide security for their citizens.
Government Provides Order and Security
2. Listing As you read, create a “to-do” list for
governments. On the list, note the services that
governments provide.
Government Services
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
13
Copyright©TheMcGraw-HillCompanies,Inc.

2. Guided Reading
NAME _____________________________________________ CLASS ________________ DATE_____________
Americans, Citizenship, and Governments
netw rks
NAME _____________________________________________ CLASS ________________ DATE_____________
3. Explaining One way governments guide the community
is through public policy. As you read, complete the chart
defining public policy and giving examples of the goals
governments reach through good public policy.
Public Policy
Definition Goals
4. Describing On the lines below, name other ways,
besides through public policy, that governments guide the
community.
Governments guide the community by
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
5. Organizing As you read, complete the graphic organizer
on our federal system of government. Use the space
beneath each heading to take notes on the powers of the
national government, state governments, and local
governments.
Federal System of Government
National Government State Governments
Local Governments
14
Copyright©TheMcGraw-HillCompanies,Inc.

3. Guided Reading
NAME _____________________________________________ CLASS ________________ DATE_____________
Americans, Citizenship, and Governments
netw rks
NAME _____________________________________________ CLASS ________________ DATE_____________
The Types of Government
6. Defining As you read about democratic governments,
complete the following sentences.
The ceremonial ruler of a inherits his or
her position, but elected officials run the government.
The power of most modern monarchs is limited by the
country’s and .
True have free, fair, and competitive
elections.
In the United States, citizens form
that compete for power under the principle of
.
7. Generalizing As you read, complete the web diagram by
providing details about authoritarian regimes.
Waterways
Authoritarian
Regimes
15
Copyright©TheMcGraw-HillCompanies,Inc.

4. Guided Reading
NAME _____________________________________________ CLASS ________________ DATE_____________
Americans, Citizenship, and Governments
netw rks
NAME _____________________________________________ CLASS ________________ DATE_____________
8. Summarizing As you read, use the graphic organizer to
describe how decision-making powers are structured in
each of these systems of government.
Systems of Government
Federal Confederal Unitary
16
Copyright©TheMcGraw-HillCompanies,Inc.