Types of Government

Study Notes

Definition: The system or group of people that have the authority to make and enforce laws, policies, and decisions for a country, state, or organization.
Types of Government:
1. Democracy: Power is held by the people, either directly or through elected representatives.
2. Monarchy: Power is held by a single person, usually a king or queen.
3. Authoritarian: Power is held by a small group or individual, often with limited citizen participation.
4. Totalitarian: Power is held by a single party or leader, with complete control over citizens' lives.
Government Branches:
- Legislative: Makes the laws (e.g., Congress, Parliament)
- Executive: Enforces the laws (e.g., President, Prime Minister)
- Judicial: Interprets the laws (e.g., Supreme Court)

Definition: A process by which citizens choose their leaders or representatives.
Types of Elections:
1. Direct Election: Citizens vote directly for their leaders or representatives.
2. Indirect Election: Citizens vote for representatives who then elect the leaders or representatives.
Election Systems:
1. First-Past-the-Post (FPTP): The candidate with the most votes wins the election.
2. Proportional Representation (PR): The number of seats won is proportional to the number of votes received.
Voting Systems:
1. Plurality Voting: Voters choose one candidate, and the candidate with the most votes wins.
2. Rank-Order Voting: Voters rank candidates in order of preference.
Election Roles:
- Voters: Citizens who cast ballots in an election.
- Candidates: Individuals running for office.
- Election Officials: Responsible for administering the election process.

A system or group of people that have the authority to make and enforce laws, policies, and decisions for a country, state, or organization.
There are four types of government:
- Democracy: Power is held by the people, either directly or through elected representatives.
- Monarchy: Power is held by a single person, usually a king or queen.
- Authoritarian: Power is held by a small group or individual, often with limited citizen participation.
- Totalitarian: Power is held by a single party or leader, with complete control over citizens' lives.
Government has three branches:
- Legislative: Makes the laws, e.g., Congress, Parliament.
- Executive: Enforces the laws, e.g., President, Prime Minister.
- Judicial: Interprets the laws, e.g., Supreme Court.

A process by which citizens choose their leaders or representatives.
There are two types of elections:
- Direct Election: Citizens vote directly for their leaders or representatives.
- Indirect Election: Citizens vote for representatives who then elect the leaders or representatives.
There are two main election systems:
- First-Past-the-Post (FPTP): The candidate with the most votes wins the election.
- Proportional Representation (PR): The number of seats won is proportional to the number of votes received.
There are two types of voting systems:
- Plurality Voting: Voters choose one candidate, and the candidate with the most votes wins.
- Rank-Order Voting: Voters rank candidates in order of preference.
Key election roles include:
- Voters: Citizens who cast ballots in an election.
- Candidates: Individuals running for office.
- Election Officials: Responsible for administering the election process.