Institutions of CultureGovernmentReligionEconomicsEducationFamily

GovernmentThere are four major types of governments:1. Anarchy2. Autocracy3. Oligarchy4. Democracy

1. Anarchy

A system in which no one is in charge

These hardly ever existUsually, a strong

individual takes charge….

…until he is killedEx: Somalia, Iraq?

2. Autocracy(Dictatorship)

Adolf Hitler (Nazi Germany)

Col. Muammar al-Gaddafi

Government in which one person holds all power

Will of people is ignored

Military dictatorship – dictator is backed by army

Might have elections, but these are a fake

3. OligarchyRule by an elite groupThese are found in two

variations:a) Monarchyb) Theocracy

a) MonarchyA system in which

power is held by one family

Power is passed down from one generation to the next

Two types: Constitutional Absolute

AbsoluteMonarch has final say

in all mattersMany exist in Middle

East

Queen Elizabeth II (UK)

ConstitutionalMonarch’s power is

limitedSometimes monarch

gets say in law In most cases, they

are symbolic

King Abdallah al-Saud (Saudi Arabia)

b) TheocracyRule by religious

leadersLaw is usually based

on the religion Ex: Sharia law is based

on the Koran

4. DemocracyTrue Democracy

People’s will is directly translated into policy

Don’t exist Why?

Representative Democracy

Republic Small group is elected to

act as representatives of the people

They express the popular will

For this to work, people must be informed and stay involved!

ReligionThere are three major

types of religions:1. Animism2. Polytheism3. Monotheism

1. AnimismBelief that earthly

things (nature, ancestors, etc.) contain spiritual energy

Communication with spirits

Found mostly in tribal societies Ex: Africa, Native

Americans

2. PolytheismBelief in two or more

godsThere are two main

polytheistic religions, both of which are found in South Asia:

a) Hinduismb) Buddhism

a) HinduismThousands of years

oldMixture of religious

traditions in IndiaFollowed by 800

million people, most of whom live in India and Nepal

b) BuddhismFounded around 600

BC in IndiaFounder, Siddhartha

Gautama, broke away from Hinduism to find his own path to enlightenment

Most of its over 500 million followers live in East Asia

3. MonotheismBelief in one godThree major

monotheistic religionsa) Judaismb) Christianityc) Islam

All were founded in Middle East

a) JudaismFounded over four

thousand years agoAbraham is founding

fatherCurrently has about 15

million followers, mostly in Israel, the US, and Europe

b) ChristianityBased on the life and

teachings of JesusBased on the Bible2.2 billion followers

c) IslamFounded in the 600s

AD by MuhammadFastest growing

religionTwo major types:

Sunni Shi’ite