SS7 Civics: Ch 1.4The Forms of Government

The Importance of Government

Importance of Government

A. A ____________ is the ruling authority for a community.

government

Importance of Government

B. There are _________ primary reasons for why we need government:

three

________________________ The most important role of government is to _________ laws, or _______ of conduct for people to live by. These laws serve to ________ conflict between _____________, ______ or ____________.

Keep Order & Provice Security

makerules

prevent

individuals groupsnations

Laws exist to ensure our safety against crimes such as ______________, and _____________. They also exist to ______________ problems with issues do arise. To enforce these _____________, the government has the ability to _____________ these and decide what happens when they are __________________.

attacktheft

resolvelaws

enforce

broken

_________________________ Government provides _________________ that otherwise would not be available Examples include _____________, ______________, ________________, and ___________. They also build and repair ______________ and ____________, collect _______________ and deliver the _______________. Local governments provide _____________ and ____________ safety, as well as issue __________________ for drivers and doctors.

Provide Services:services

libraries schoolshospitals parksroads bridges

garbagemail

policefireliscences

_____________________________ Government develops __________________ -- which are actions and decisions that are designed to solve community problems. Examples of this can include plans to keep ______________ safe for people to use, or plans to keep the nation __________ from outside attack.

Guide the Community:public policy

productssafe

Most public policy involves some kind of _________________ planning. This is known as ______________, or planning a method to ____________ and __________ money. Governments also guide the nation by dealing with other ____________ and making _____________ with them in terms of _____________, ___________, and __________________.

financial

budgetingmake

spend

nationsagreements

worktravel

trade

C. In the United States, there are ___________

distinct levels of government. They

include:

three

_________________________ This is the level of government that is ________________ to Americans. This level of government includes your town’s ____________ and _________________ members. The ______________ police force is usually the law ____________________ arm of this form of government.

Local Government:closest

localMayor

council

enforcement

_________________________ Each of the 50 states have their _________ government. The decide the __________ for the entire state. They set laws for things such as how ________________ are to be run, what _______________ laws are to be enforced, and how to keep the public ______________ and ________. There laws trump those of the ___________ level. This level is comprised of the state __________________ and the state ____________________________.

State Governments:

ownlaws

schoolsmarriage

healthy safelocal

GovernorsLegislators

_________________________ Finally, the largest, and most powerful level of government is the ________________ government. This is the government that operates out of ________________________. Between the three levels of government, this is the most powerful. Neither of the other two levels of government can override the rules laid out by this level…

National Government:

Federal

Washington D.C.

… As the _________________, their laws are lied out by the _________________ which is the _______________ Law of the Land. No proposed action can go against the _______________. If it does, the action must be ____________ or ___________ away with completely. This level of government includes three branches: the ________________ (President), __________________ (Congress) and _____________________ (Supreme Court).

CongressConstitution

Supreme

Constitutionchanged

done

ExecutiveLegislative

Judicial

The Types of Government

Democratic Governments

A. ______________________________________________ In this kind of democracy, citizens choose a group of people to represent them, make laws, and govern on their behalf. There are two types of these governments: Republics, like that of the United States, and….

Representative Democracy

B. ____________________________ The term “monarchy” refers to a country with a hereditary ruler such as a King or Queen who sits on a throne. However, the monarch has a limited role that is often just ceremonial. Voteors elect representatives to sit in a lawmaking body. The representatives choose a prime minister to head the government.

Constitutional Monarchies

C. Remember, Democracy works of the political

principal of _____________________.

This means that the majority of the citizens have the authority to

make _________________ binding on all people.

majority rule

decisions

Authoritarian Governments

D. __________________________________________ In these forms of government, there is one person or a very select, small group of people who make laws for all people under their rule. Types of these governments include:

Authoritarian Regimes:

E. __________________________This is a form of government that is largely outdated today. In this form, a King or Queen rules with 100% absolute power, having to answer to very few people, if any at all. Many European countries have existed under this type of government, however most of these are now the constitutional variety of this.

Monarchies:

F. ____________________________________ In this form of authoritarian government, the decisions are made by one person with overarching absolute power. Countries that have, at one time or another, operated under this form of government include Cuba, Germany, Italy, and Japan, just to name a few. People who live under this form of government have __________ freedom. If they speak poorly against _____________________, they can be punished by the _________________ itself.

Dictatorships:

no

the governmentgovernment

G. _________________________ Many dictators employ this form of rule. In a totalitarian state, the government controls almost all aspects of people’s lives. Totalitarian leaders ban any efforts to oppose them. They take away individual freedom, telling people what they can believe and what groups they may join.

Totalitarianism:

H. __________________________ Used in many totalitarian systems, society controls all aspects of the economy, either directly or indirectly through the government. The government, rather than private owners, decides what items industries will produce and what jobs workers will have

Socialism:

I. ______________________ This is a form of government in which a small group of people holds power. Often, such power was based on wealth. Most, but not all, oligarchies have been viewed as authoritarian

Oligarchies:

J. _____________________ In this form of government, religious law is the basis of all of society's laws. Often, religious law is absolute and forced upon all of a nation's citizens.

Theocracies:

Systems of Government

A. In the United States, our government is based on ____________________. In this form of government, the federal, or _______________ government shares power with the individual________________.

federalism

national

states.

B. Most countries do not share power in this way. They opt, instead, for a ___________________ system of government, where the central government whole complete absolute power.

unitarian

C. The final system of government is what the United States started as, a ____________________ system of government. In this form, individual states agree to join together freely, with each state governing its own citizens.

confederal