Philippine Government Structure and Branches

Mode of Succession

• The order of succession is: President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives

Members of the Cabinet

• Department of Agrarian Reform
• Department of Agriculture
• Department of Education Culture and Sports
• Department of Environment and Natural Resources
• Department of Finance
• Department of Foreign Affairs
• Department of Health
• Department of Justice

Legislative Branch

• Makes laws
• Repeals laws
• Declares validity of executive agreements and treaties
• Formulates laws on taxation
• Declares war
• Grants emergency powers to the President
• Ratifies treaties with 2/3 votes
• May impeach the President and Vice-President

Executive Branch

• Succeeds the Vice-President if the President fails to act
• Exercises pardoning power
• Addresses Congress at the opening of the regular session
• Controls the military
• Initiates and negotiates treaties with other countries
• Grants amnesty
• Controls executive departments, bureaus, and offices
• Contracts loans on behalf of the Republic of the Philippines
• Exercises veto power
• Prepares the budget
• Appoints officers of different departments
• Declares martial law
• Appoints officials and employees of the judiciary

Judicial Branch

• Applies laws to disputes
• Composes the majority of the Commission on Appointments
• Ensures laws are properly executed
• Assigns judges permanently in various courts
• Orders a change of venue to avoid miscarriage of justice
• Exercises jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases
• Declares acts of the President and Congress as constitutional or not

Policies in the Separation of Church and State

• The state shall not establish a national church
• The state shall not support or prefer one religion over another

Forms of Government (Ancient Times)

• Monarchy: rule by one person
• Aristocracy: rule by the majority
• Democracy: rule by the majority of the people

Types of Government (Modern Times)

• Constitutional monarchy
• Dictatorships, authoritarian, and totalitarian governments
• Modern democracies (presidential or parliamentary)

Constitutional Monarchy

• Ruled by a monarch with limited powers
• Symbolic head of state with a parliament
• The monarch reigns but does not rule
• The real head of government is the Prime Minister

Dictatorships, Authoritarian, and Totalitarian Governments

• Imposed by force
• No right to question or change the leader
• Ordinary citizens have no rights

Democracy

• Government of the people, by the people, and for the people
• All people are equal before the law
• The people choose officials through elections
• The people can question and debate government policies
• Safeguards the rights and welfare of the people

Presidential Government

• Separation of powers between executive, legislative, and judicial branches
• The president is independent of the law-making body
• The president cannot dissolve Congress

Parliamentary Government

• Merged executive and legislative branches
• United executive and legislative powers

Advantages of Democracy

• Encourages civic responsibility
• Gives people a sense of civic responsibility
• The voice of the people is the voice of God

Disadvantages of Democracy

• Slow, fickle, and extravagant
• Corrupt officials may be elected
• May lead to the "rule of the mob" and "rule of the ignorant"

Communism

• The opposite of democracy

This quiz covers the different branches of the Philippine government, including the executive, legislative, and cabinet members. It also touches on the order of succession and the responsibilities of each department.