Government
Citizen Participation
Autocratic/
Autocracy
Oligarchic/
Oligarchy
Democratic/
Democracy
Definition
Definition
Definition
Characteristics:
Characteristics:
Characteristics:
Autocratic/
Autocracy
Oligarchic/
Oligarchy
Democratic/
Democracy
Examples
Examples
Examples
Picture
Picture
Picture
Citizen Participation
• Different governments decide
a citizens’ role in government
differently
• The government can share
none, little, or most of its
power with its citizens
3 main ways governments
determine citizen
participation . . .
1. autocratic
2. oligarchic
3. democratic
AUTOCRATC
rule by one
OLIGARCHIC
rule by the few
DEMOCRATIC
rule by all
Citizen’s Role in Government
Autocratic Oligarchic Democrati
c
(one)
(few)
(all)
LEAST
citizen
MOST
citizen
participation
participation
Low or No Participation
Autocratic
Low or No Participation
Oligarchic
Citizen Participation
Government Power
General Citizens’
Participation
Select Citizens’
Participation
Government Power
Citizen Participation
Government Power
How Governments Determine
High Participation
High Participation
Citizen Participation
Low or No Participation
Democracy
Autocratic
• One person (ex. King,
Emperor, Czar) possesses
unlimited power
• The citizen has limited, if
any, role in government
Autocratic cont.
• Ruler gets power through
inheritance or ruthless use of
military & police power
• The oldest form of government
• One of the most common forms
of government
Examples of Autocratic Gov’ts
Totalitarianism & Dictatorships
• Ideas of a single leader glorified
• Gov’t tries to control all parts of social
& economic life
• People lack the power to limit their
rulers
• Examples- Hitler (Germany), Mussolini
(Italy), Stalin (Russia), Bashir (Sudan),
Hussein (Iraq)
Examples of Autocratic Gov’ts
•
•
•
•
•
Absolute Monarchy
King, queen, or emperor has
unlimited power
Position is usually inherited (from
parents or other relatives)
People lack the power to limit their
rulers
Absolute monarchs are rare today
but from the 1400s to the 1700s they
ruled most of Western Europe
Example - King of Jordan
Oligarchy
• Government by the few (a few
powerful individuals make
decisions)
• A small group exercises control,
especially for corrupt and selfish
purposes
• The citizen has a very limited role
Oligarchy
•The ruling group gets its power
from military force, wealth,
religion or a combination.
•Political disagreement is usually
suppressed (sometimes violently)
Examples of Oligarchy
Theocracy
• a government run by religious
authority
• A Deity (god) is recognized as the
highest ruler
• The Deity's laws are interpreted by
religious experts (priests, mullahs,
etc.)
Examples of Oligarchy
Communism
• Gov’t plans & controls the economy
• a single political party holds power
• state controls are forced
• NO private ownership of property
• All goods are to be equally shared by the
people (ex. classless society)
WARNING!
Autocracy & Oligarchy
• Sometimes claim they rule for the people.
• In reality, the people have very little say in both
types of government.
• Example - may hold elections with only one
candidate or control the results of elections
• Example - even when these governments have a
legislature (branch that makes laws), they often
only approve decisions made by the leaders.
Democracy
• Citizens vote on government
representatives & on specific
issues
• People have the most power
Examples of
Democratic Gov’t
Republic
the people elect representatives,
not the people themselves, to
govern and make laws
Examples of
Democratic Gov’t
Constitutional Monarchy
• monarch must follow the laws of the
constitution
• monarch is usually a figure-head, the
real power rests with the legislature
(Parliament/Congress)
who is elected by the citizens
2 main forms of democratic
governments . . .
1. Presidential
2. Parliamentary
Types of Democratic Gov’ts
Presidential Democracy
Parliamentary Democracy
Definition
Definition
Characteristics
Characteristics
Examples
Examples
Picture
Picture
Branches of Government
Enforces the laws of the
EXAMPLES
Constitution & legislature
President or Prime Minister
Police, FBI, Military, Dept. of
Ed, Treasury, Dept. of Justice
(prisons), Dept. of Agriculture
Decides who is or isn’t
following the laws of
the Constitution &
legislature
Makes the
laws
(legislature)
EXAMPLES
Congress
(Senate & House of
Representatives)
Parliament
EXAMPLES
courts & juries
Supreme Court
Presidential Democracy (definition)
• Executive branch is independent
from the legislature
• Head of the executive branch
(president) elected by
citizens, not the
legislature
Presidential Democracy
Citizens vote for EVERY branch of gov’t
Presidential Democracy
(characteristics)
•Different branches of
government (executive,
legislative, judicial) are equal in
power
•EXAMPLE U.S.A., Mexico, Brazil
Parliamentary Democracy
(definition)
• executive branch is dependent on
legislative branch
• Head of executive branch (Prime
Minister) elected by the legislature,
not the citizens
Parliamentary Democracy
Citizens DO NOT vote for Executive Branch
Prime
Minister
Parliament
Parliamentary Democracy
(characteristics)
•NO clear separation of powers
between the executive and
legislative branches
•Legislature makes most
decisions
Examples of Parliamentary Democracy
U.K., Canada, Germany, Australia
What do you know?
1. What is the main difference between a
Presidential Democracy and a
Parliamentary Democracy?
• Presidential = executive branch (ex. President)
is chosen by the citizens, not the legislature
• Parliamentary = executive branch (ex. Prime
Minister) is chosen by the legislature
(parliament)
2. Which form of democracy do you think allows
for more citizen participation? Why?
• Presidential b/c citizens get to vote for all 3
branches of gov’t
AUTOCRATIC
OLIGARCHIC
DEMOCRATIC
Rule by one
Rule by the few
Rule by all/many
•One person (ex. King,
Emperor, Czar)
possesses unlimited
power
•The citizen has limited,
if any, role in
government
Ruler gets power
through inheritance or
ruthless use of military
& police power
Examples
Totalitarianism &
Dictatorships- Hitler,
Mussolini, Stalin, Sudan
Absolute Monarchy –
King, queen, or emperor
has unlimited power
Position is usually
inherited (from parents
or other relatives)
•A small group exercises
control, especially for
corrupt and selfish
purposes
•The citizen has a very
limited role
•The ruling group gets its
power from military power,
wealth, religion or a
combination.
Political disagreement is
usually suppressed
(sometimes violently)
Examples
Theocracy - a
government run by
religious authority
Communism - NO
private ownership of
property
•Citizens vote on
government
representatives & on
specific issues
•People have the most
power
Examples
Republic – the people
elect representatives, not
the people themselves,
to govern and make laws
Constitutional
Monarchy –monarch
must follow the laws of
the constitution
monarch is usually a
figure-head, the real
power rests with the
legislature (Parliament/
Congress) who is elected
by the citizens