Dictatorship

Definition: ​A dictator is a political leader who rules over a country with absolute and unlimited

power. Similar to “tyrant” and “autocrat,” the term “dictator” has come to refer to rulers who

exercise oppressive, cruel, even abusive power over the people. Dictators typically use military

force or political deceit to gain power, which they maintain through terror, coercion, and the

elimination of basic ​civil liberties​.1

The history of dictators began in the Roman Republic. If there was a pressing and imminent

threat to the Roman Republic, the Roman Senate would temporarily delegate total legislative and

military power to a single individual, a dictator. Once the crisis had passed, the dictator would

relinquish (give up) their power back to the Senator. This cycle continued for several hundred

years with no issue until 82 BCE (Before Current Era), when Sulla took proclaimed himself the

Dictator of Rome.

This cycle of a dictatorship taking power during a crisis is evident throughout history. Examples

include the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party, Lenin and the Russian Revolution, and dictators

throughout Central America, South America, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.

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 Theocracy
Definition: ​A theocracy is a government operated under divine rule or the pretense of divine rule.

In practice, the term refers to a government-operated by religious authorities who claim

unlimited power in the name of God or supernatural forces. A government is a theocracy when

its lawmakers believe that leaders are governed by the will of God and laws are written and

enforced that are predicated on this belief.2

A Theocracy is not restricted to any one religion. Any religion can become a Theocracy.

Theocracies served as some of the first forms of pre-historical and early history governments.

Ancient Egypt serves as the most famous example of a Theocracy.

There are Theocracies still present in the World today. The Vatican is a Christian Theocracy,

which is its own state within the City of Rome. Iran is classified as an ultraconservative Islamic

Theocracy. Saudi Arabia is also an ultraconservative Islamic Theocracy with an Absolute

Monarch as the leader.

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 Absolute Monarchy
Definiton: ​An absolute monarchy is a form of government in which a king or queen rules with

total unchallenged and unchecked political and legislative power.3 An absolute monarchy has a

distinct family/hereditary line giving that individual the “right” to rule.

Hobbes was a major advocate for absolute monarchies. Hobbes believed all humans were

“Nasty, brutish, poor, and short.” That the people needed an absolute monarch to keep them

civilized. Absolute Monarchs are commonly seen throughout history. Many Roman Emperors

came to power through a common hereditary line. The Medieval Period and Renaissance

provided the most examples of Kings & Queens with absolute and unlimited power. The rise in

the popularity of the Social Contract Theory, however, has seen most Absolute Monarchs either

completely lose power or heavily restricted by a constitution.

Saudi Arabia is the most notable holdout of a modern Absolute Monarch.

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 Oligarchy
Definition: An oligarchy is a power structure made up of a few elite individuals, families, or

corporations that are allowed to control a country or organization. The people who hold the

power in an oligarchy are called “oligarchs” and are related by characteristics such as wealth,

family, nobility, corporate interests, religion, politics, or military power.4

The primary characteristic of an oligarchy is a very small group of individuals having complete

control over the country. These individuals could include the wealthy, generals, owners of

companies, or other individuals perceived as having power over a major part of society.

Examples include Hong Kong, where major companies sit on the Legislative Council as special

interests. Russia has been classified as an oligarchy with Vladmir Putin as the President, who

continually serve the wealthy manufacturers and other special interests.

Aristocracy

Definition: A government run by the wealthy. The primary qualification of ruling in an

Aristocracy is either an individual or family must be rich. The United States has been accused of

being an Aristocracy given that in order to be elected, the individual needs to have a lot of

money to campaign.

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 Constitutional Monarchy
Definition: ​A constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch—typically a

king or queen—acts as the head of state within the parameters of a written or unwritten

constitution. In a constitutional monarchy, political power is shared between the monarch and a

constitutionally organized government such as a ​parliament​.5

Constitutional monarchies typically started out as absolute monarchies. As the social contract

theory became more widely accepted, the monarchs gradually loss their power. Some monarchs

were forced, either by the nobles or popular revolutions, to become constitutional monarchies.

Great Britain serves as the most notable example of a constitutional monarchy. The Magna Carta

established the parliament, which now handles legislative and executive matters. The Queen is

primarily a ceremonial figure with no actual power. Japan is another example where the Emperor

served as the absolute monarch. With the end of World War 2, the Emperor became a primarily

ceremonial figure and handles little to know actual decision making.

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​https://www.thoughtco.com/constitutional-monarchy-definition-examples-4582648
 Representative (Indirect) Democracy
Definition: ​Representative democracy is a form of government in which the people elect officials

to create laws and policy on their behalf. The powers of the elected representatives are defined

by a constitution which establishes the basic laws, principles, and framework of the government.6

There are two major forms of a Representative Democracy, the ​Parliamentary​ system and the

Presidential​ system.

Parliamentary System
In a parliamentary system, voters elect their represenatives. Those representatives then vote from

among themselves who will lead the government. Great Britain follows a Parliamentary system.

Representatives serve in the House of Commons and the Prime Minister is elected by the House

of Commons. The current British Prime Minister is Boris Johnson. The Prime Minister can be

removed by either not being re-elected or the House of Commons can pass a “vote of no

confidence” to vote on removing the Prime Minister.

Presidential System
In a presidential system, voters elect their representatives and the president separately. The

president is independent of the legislative branch. The United States follows a presidential

system, where the President is elected by the Electoral College, not the House of Representatives

or Senate. The current President of the United States is Donald Trump. The President can be

removed either by not being re-elected or by being impeached by the House of Representatives

and convicted by the Senate.

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 Direct (Pure) Democracy
Definition: Direct Democracy is a form of democracy in which all laws and policies imposed by

governments are determined by the people themselves, rather than by representatives who are

elected by the people. In a true direct democracy, all laws, bills and even court decisions are

voted on by all citizens.7

The concept of a direct democracy originiated in Athens with all property-owning men being

able to vote on all matters of state. During the Medieval Ages, several small Swiss towns

employed a form of direct democracy.

On a large scale, however, a direct democracy has never been implemented. The biggest hurdle

of a direct democracy is getting everyone’s opinion collected and tallied. Another major obstacle

is running a government requires a lot of decision-making. People living in a direct democracy

would spend most of their days voting on decisions of state.

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 Instructions
Todays lesson will take the form of a station-based lesson. You will be given 5 minutes at each
of the 7 stations. At each station, you will read the information provided and define the form of
government in your own words. Your definiton must include the following
1: Who rules?
2: How is that decided?
3: What is an example?

Define in your own words what a Dictatorship is.

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Define in your own words what a Theocracy is.
Define in your own words what an Absolute Monarchy is.

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Define in your own words what an Oligarchy is.

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Define in your own words what a Constitutional Monarchy is.
Define in your own words what a Representative Democracy is.

=====================================================================
Define in your own words what a Direct Democracy is.
Definitions Translation List

English Spanish
1:Dictatorship Dictadura
2:Theocracy Teocracia
3:Absolute Monarchy Monarquía Absoluta
4:Oligarchy Oligarquía
5:Constitutional Monarchy Monarquía Constitucional
6:Representative Democracy Democracia Representativa
7:Direct Democracy Democracia Directa

English Portuguese
1:Dictatorship Ditadura
2:Theocracy Teocracia
3:Absolute Monarchy Monarquia Absoluta
4:Oligarchy Oligarquia
5:Constitutional Monarchy Monarquia Constitucional
6:Representative Democracy Democracia Representativa
7:Direct Democracy Democracia Directa