Chapter 1 Section 2 Reading Comprehension Forms Of Government Answer

Name ___________________________ Class _____________________ Date _______

Define each form of government in the chart below. Then give examples of states with that form of government.
Democracy: Supreme political authority rests with the people.
Indirect: A group of persons chosen by the people express the will of the people.
Examples: United States.
Direct: Occurs when the will of the people translates directly into public policy.
Examples: New England and the Landsgemeinde, Swiss cantons.

Dictatorship: Exists where those who rule cannot be held responsible to the will of the people. The government is not accountable for its policies.
Autocracy: Government which a single person holds unlimited political power.
Examples: Adolf Hitler, and Kim Jong-un
Oligarchy: Government which the power to rule is held by a small, self-appointed elite.
Examples: Soviet Union, and People’s Republic of China.
Unitary
Government: All powers held by the government belong to a single, central agency.
Examples: Great Britain.
Federal
Government: Is one which the powers of government are divided between a central government and several local governments.
Examples: Australia, Canada, Mexico, and other 23 states.
Confederate Government: An alliance of independent states. Local government has more power than central government.
Examples: European Union.
Presidential: Features a separation of powers between the executive and the legislative branches of the government.
Examples: United States.

Parliamentary: The executive branch is made up of the prime minister or premier, and that official’s cabinet.
Examples: Majority of governmental systems in the world today are parliamentary.
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