Classic Forms of Government Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is a dictatorship?

Government in which citizens participate in law-making by voting.

Government in which a small group shares power.

Government in which one person rules using force to gain and maintain power. (correct)

Government with no laws or control.

What is direct democracy?

Citizens participate in law-making by voting.

What characterizes an oligarchy?

Rule by one person.

Complete absence of government.

Government recognizes God as ultimate authority.

Rule by a small group based on race, wealth, or social status. (correct)

What does anarchy mean?

Absence of government or laws. Signup and view all the answers

What is theocracy?

Government that recognizes God as the ultimate authority. Signup and view all the answers

What is a representative democracy?

A system where citizens elect leaders to represent their rights and interests. Signup and view all the answers

What defines a monarchy?

A system where one person rules, and power is hereditary. Signup and view all the answers

What is an aristocracy?

Government ruled by a small group with hereditary power. Signup and view all the answers

What is timocracy?

Rule by a small group where power is passed through a chain of command. Signup and view all the answers

What is a constitutional monarchy?

A hybrid government where the power of the head of state is limited by written laws. Signup and view all the answers

What is autocracy?

A form of government with one ruler. Signup and view all the answers

What is another name for a republic?

Representative democracy. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Forms of Government

Dictatorship: A system where one individual holds absolute power, often achieved and maintained through force.
Direct Democracy: Citizens engage directly in law-making and decision-making through voting, with roots in ancient Greek practices.
Oligarchy: Governance by a small group, where power can be derived from various factors such as race, wealth, or social status.
Anarchy: A state of society without government or laws, characterized by a lack of control and structure.
Theocracy: A form of government where divine authority is recognized as the supreme authority, often intertwined with religious laws and practices.
Representative Democracy (Republic): Citizens elect officials to represent their interests, with these elected leaders responsible for the administration of government.
Monarchy: A political system headed by a single ruler, where power is typically inherited through family lineage.
Aristocracy: Rule by a privileged class, where authority and power are passed down through hereditary lines.
Timocracy: Governance by a small elite where power is organized through a hierarchy or chain of command.
Constitutional Monarchy: A hybrid system that combines elements of monarchy and democracy, where the monarch's powers are limited by a constitution or laws.
Autocracy: A government led by a single ruler with absolute power, not subjected to any legal limitations.
Republic: An alternative term for representative democracy, emphasizing elected representatives working on behalf of the citizens.

Description

This quiz features flashcards on classic forms of government, including definitions and examples of dictatorship, direct democracy, and oligarchy. Test your knowledge of these fundamental political systems and understand their characteristics.