Forms of Government

Instructions on the Proper use of this module:

1. Follow closely the instruction in every activity.
2. Be honest in answering and checking your exercises.
3. Answer the pre-test before going over the materials. This is to find out what you already
know.
4. Answer the exercises encountered at the end of every lesson.
5. Review the lesson that you think you failed to understand.
6. Seek assistance from your teacher if you need help.

PRETEST:
TRUE OR FALSE: Write TRUE if the statement is true and FALSE if the statement is false.
1. The form of government is essentially determined by the number of
rulers.__________
2. Kingship or monarchy for Aristotle is the good version of tyranny because the
leader rules the people with wisdom and virtue. __________
3. Polity is the good version of democracy. __________
4. Theocracy is also another form of government that is composed of the joint rule
of the church and the state. __________
5. Other form of government is Monarchy vs. Republic. __________
6. In Autocracy, power is held by a single, self-appointed ruler. __________
7. A unitary state has a central government holding power with the capability to
delegate or take back authority. __________
8. The Philippines is a democratic country. __________
9. USA is a Republican country. __________
10. Saudi Arabia is a Theocracy. __________

Activity No. 1:

Give the form of government for each country.

Country Form of Government

1. Philippines
2. United States of America
3. North Korea
4. France
5. China
 6. Singapore
7. Malaysia
8. United Kingdom
9. Puerto Rico
10. Thailand

Lesson Proper:

Some countries are ruled by one person, others by a group. There are leaders chosen by
the people, there are those who became leaders by birthright. There are persons or groups who
are given all the powers to manage the government and the country, while in other places, power
is divided among individuals.

This lesson discusses the different forms of government and their functions. By
evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of each form of government, we can also explore the
possibilities of improving the current system of government in the country. The history of
mankind has shown that the government, as the physical manifestation of political power in
society, is also prone to the dynamic changes in society. This explains why governments take
different forms.

The form of government is essentially determined by the number of rulers, the way
power is exercised by theses rulers, and the ideologies that guide the government. It was in
ancient Greece that the forms of government that we know today were founded, such as
democracy (the rule of people or many), oligarchy (the rule of the privileged few), and tyranny
( the rule of one individual). At present, there are different terms being used to refer to different
types of regimes like constitutional monarchy, guided democracy, and communist rule but they
are basically under democracy, oligarchy and tyranny.

It is interesting to note that Aristotle considered the three forms of government as

examples of bad governments. In Politics, he included the good version of each form of bad
government.

Kingship or monarchy for Aristotle is good version of tyranny because the leader rules
the people with wisdom and virtue, unlike tyranny, where the leader is possessed with extreme
desire to improve and empower himself/herself rather than promote welfare to his/her
constituents. Aristocracy, as the rule of the privileged few, is seen by Aristotle as good version of
oligarchy because those who are in power belong to the upper class, thus the assumption of
virtue.

Polity is the good version of democracy. While polity is essentially the same as
democracy as the rule of the people in general, it stresses however the involvement of the middle
class in ruling, which is its crucial character. The middle class is important because, according to
Aristotle, they make up most of society, thus they represent the greater interest.
Other forms of government are as follows:

1. Monarchy vs. Republic- both forms have an individual holding the power as the head of
the state. While the monarchy ruled by king and is hereditary, a republic is usually ruled
by a president chosen by the people through election.
2. Autocracy vs. Democracy-in autocracy, power is held by a single, self-appointed ruler, its
absolute form being the dictatorship. In democracy, on the other hand, power resides with
the people as they have the ability to select their leader and directly or indirectly involve
themselves in politics and governance.
3. Unitary State vs. Federal State- a unitary state has a central government holding power
with the capability to delegate or take back authority and function to and from the lower
levels or offices. A federal state has a central government with the main function of
uniting several self-governing states or regions. The central government in a federal state
cannot duly interfere or immediately alter the laws of the member states.

Theocracy is also another form of government that is composed of the joint rule of the church
and state or the domination of the state by the church.

The Philippines is essentially a democratic country. Throughout our history, however, only a
few individuals or the elites have been instrumental to the forging of the country’s political
character. Involvement of the middle class is not clearly manifested in any significant political
agendas of the government.

Activity No. 2:

1. What do you think of the concept of leadership of Filipinos in general? Defend your answer.

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2. Will theocracy work in the Philippines?

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3. Will a government following the ideology of the communism or anarchy work in our country?
Why or why not?

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Exercise 1: What could be the best type of government for the Philippines? Justify your answer
by taking into account the geography, economy, and culture of the country. Write your answer
on the space provided below.

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Exercise 2:

Triple- Table Matching Type: Match the different forms of government according to their
corresponding leaders and characteristics. Write the proper combinations in the space provided
below the table.

Form of Government Leader Characteristics

A1. Monarchy A2.Representative A3.The church and the state
go hand in hand.
B1. Revolutionary B2. Religious Leaders B3.A type of government that
is ruled through the use of
arms.
C1. Aristocracy C2. One Leader C3.The people have the right
to vote and decide for the
welfare of the state.
D1. Democracy D2. Military D3.Decision-making and
ruling only belong to a certain
group of people.
E1. Theocracy E2. A group of people E3.A group of people or an
individual represents the
people in the government.
F1. Republic F2. The people F3.The king has authority
 over all his constituents.

Components:

A1- - C1- - ____ E1- - ___

B1- - D1- - ____ F1- - ___

Activity No. 3:

Imagine you were asked to create a new form of government that could effectively address the
concerns of governance in the country. Provide a brief description of the government you have
created, how it will work, and what will it be called.

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TRUE OR FALSE: Write TRUE if the statement is true and FALSE if the statement is false.
1. The form of government is essentially determined by the number of
rulers.__________
2. Kingship or monarchy for Aristotle is the good version of tyranny because the
leader rules the people with wisdom and virtue. __________
3. Polity is the good version of democracy. __________
4. Theocracy is also another form of government that is composed of the joint rule
of the church and the state. __________
5. Other form of government is Monarchy vs. Republic. __________
6. In Autocracy, power is held by a single, self-appointed ruler. __________
7. A unitary state has a central government holding power with the capability to
delegate or take back authority. __________
8. The Philippines is a democratic country. __________
9. USA is a Republican country. __________
10. Saudi Arabia is a Theocracy. __________

Bibliography: Philippine Politics and governance by: Reidan M. Pawilen, internet resource
materials