TYPES OF

GOVERNMENTS
 DICTATORSHIP—one person
has all the power.
• Advantages: organized and controlled.
Efficient and there are no public protests
or riots.
• Disadvantages: limited individual rights,
uncertain transition of power, usually
dependent on the military, no debate, no
free press, no opposition parties.
• Ex: Pakistan, Sudan, Cuba
 Using cows to explain
dictatorship
• You have two cows.
 Using cows to explain
dictatorship
• You have two cows.
• The government takes the cows, and
gives you nothing for them
• If you complain about it, they put you in jail
or shoot you
 MONARCHY—a royal family
• Advantages: stable, controlled, traditional,
unifying.
• Disadvantages: No criteria (other than
birth) for ruling, expensive, monarch is
remote from everyday people, limited
individual rights, no voting.
• Examples: Jordan, Monaco
Using cows to explain monarchy
• You have two cows.
Using cows to explain monarchy
• You have two cows.
• The monarch allows you the privilege of milking
your cows and giving him ½ the milk.
• If you complain, the monarch will take both your
cows and the milk.
 DEMOCRACY—rule by the
people.
• Advantages: protects individual rights, input is
taken from many different sources to make a
governmental decision, people are the
government.
• Disadvantages: takes more time to make
decisions, more costly.
• Examples: Canada, USA, Japan, Korea.
• According to the State of the World Atlas, 44%
of the world’s population live in a stable
democracy.
 Using cows to explain
democracy
• You have two cows.
 Using cows to explain
democracy
• You have two cows.
• After milking your cows, you and your
neighbors all vote on who should get the
milk.
 Using cows to explain
democracy
• You have two cows.
• After milking your cows, you and your
neighbors all vote on who should get the
milk.
• Whoever gets the most votes gets the
milk.
 SOCIALISM
• Government plays a heavy role in running
the nation. High taxes, high level of
services.
• Such as: Holland, Denmark, Finland.
Using cows to explain socialism
• You have two cows.
• And two chickens
Using cows to explain socialism
• You have two cows (and two chickens)
• The government takes the cows and puts them
in a barn with everyone else’s cows
• You have to take care of all the cows
• Someone else takes care of your chickens.
• You get as much milk and as many eggs as
you need.
 Military Dictatorship
• A military dictatorship occurs when a
country is led by a top official (like a
general) in the army. Military dictatorships
tend not to allow of individual rights and
freedoms. Burma is a military dictatorship.
 Using cows to explain military
dictatorship
• You have two cows.
Using cows to explain military
dictatorship
• You have two cows.
• The military leaders take your cows and
shoot them in order to feed their soldiers
• If you complain, the government puts you
in jail, shoots you, or forces you to join
the army.
 THEOCRACY---rule by the
clergy
• A theocracy is a country in which the
religious leaders are also leaders in the
government. The society is run by
religious beliefs and dogma. Iran is the
only theocracy we have today, but there
are many groups that are fighting for their
nation to become a theocracy such as in
Palestine, Afghanistan, Egypt and
Pakistan.
Using cows to explain theocracy
• You have two cows.
Using cows to explain theocracy
• You have two cows.
• The government tells you that if you want
to keep your cows and continue farming,
you have to follow the religion of the
leaders.