POLITICAL SOCIOLOGY

ACTIVITY #4

1. IDENTIFY 3 COUNTRIES UNDER AN OLIGARCHY, AUTHORITARIAN AND DEMOCRATIC STATE.

2. USING THE CATEGORIES OF A DEMOCRACY ON PAGE 4, IDENTIFY WHICH CATEGORY DO YOU THINK
THE PHILIPPINES DID NOT MEET (200 words)

3. WITH REFERENCE TO PAGE 5 AND 6, IDENTIFY THE SIMILARITIES OF THE U.S. AND PHILIPPINE
GOVERNMENT SYSTEM (200 words)
 STATE Oligarchy
An oligarchy is a governmental system in which the government is controlled by a small group of people,
or oligarchs.
The term "oligarch" comes from an ancient Greek word, "oligarkhia", which means "the rule of the few."
Oligarchs typically gain control through nancial means, such as donating heavily to politicians who, in
turn, rule in ways dictated by the oligarchs. However, oligarchs may also gain in uence through their
social status/nobility; fame; education; or political, religious, or military connections. Oligarchies in which
a family rules often result in power being passed down from generation to generation. Several modern
countries could be described as oligarchies, including Russia, China, and arguably even the United
States.

Types of oligarchy:

aristocracy is an oligarchy in which the ruling class is made up of aristocrats or nobles.

plutocracy is an oligarchy in which the ruling class is made up of extremely wealthy individuals who use
their money to in uence policy, typically with the goal of making even more money.

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 STATE Authoritarian
Authoritarian governments differ in who holds power and in how much control they assume over those that
they govern, but all are marked by the fact that the empowered are unelected individuals. One well-known
example of this type of government is a monarchy.

A monarchy is a form of government in which supreme power is absolutely or nominally lodged with an
individual, who is the head of state, often for life or until abdication. The person who heads a monarchy is
called a monarch. There is no clear de nition of monarchy. Some monarchs hold unlimited political power
while many constitutional monarchies, such as the United Kingdom and Thailand, have monarchs with
limited political power. Hereditary rule is often a common characteristic, but elective monarchies are also
considered monarchies (e.g., The Pope) and some states have hereditary rulers, but are considered republics
(e.g., the Dutch Republic). Currently, 44 nations in the world have monarchs as heads of state.
Totalitarianism (or totalitarian rule) is a political system that strives to regulate nearly every aspect of public
and private life. Totalitarian regimes or movements maintain themselves in political power by means of an
of cial all-embracing ideology and propaganda disseminated through the state -controlled mass media, a
single party that controls the state, personality cults, control over the economy, regulation and restriction of
free discussion and criticism, the use of mass surveillance, and widespread use of state terrorism.
(Turkmenistan, State of Eritrea, North Korea)

socialsci.libretexts.org
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STATE Democracy
Democracy is a form of government in which the right to govern is held by the majority of citizens within a
country or a state. All members of the society have equal access to power and all members enjoy
universally recognized freedoms and liberties.

Distinct categories to determine a democratic government:

-A pluralistic system in which at least two legitimate-but-different political parties coexist

-A free and fair electoral process that enables the people to choose between candidates from those parties
-A government that operates openly and transparently, works for the good of all the people, respects its own
rules, has proper checks and balances, and gives its citizens free choice and control over their lives
-Politically engaged citizens who support democratic principles, " ght fair", vote regularly, accept the will of the
voters, and commit to a peaceful transfer of power after each election
-An emphasis on preserving civil liberties and personal freedoms of both the majority and minorities
-A free and independent media unhindered by government interference, in uence, or intimidation

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/democracy-countries

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