Absolute Monarch

• A King or Queen rules• They have Absolute

Authority• They believe they get

their power from God• They do not recognize

“natural rights”. If you have rights, they give them.

• King Louis XIV (14 ) of France (movie Man in the Iron Mask)

Totalitarian Dictatorship

• One person rules everything about everyone

• They often come to power through election or military force

• They do not recognize “natural rights” so they will make rules about your social life and personal choices

• Hitler of Germany, Stalin of USSR, Castro of Cuba, and Kim Jung-il of North Korea

Direct Democracy

• People meet to make laws

• Small communities can use this if everyone is a lot alike, otherwise fights tend to break out when there is a lot of diversity

• Majorities tend to abuse Minority viewpoints

• Small towns in New England, Greece - Athens

Republican Democracyor Representative Democracy

• People elect representatives to make the laws for them

• Allows for large groups to have views expressed through a representative

• Representatives may act as a delegate and do as you wish or as a trustee and do what they think is best for you (even if you don’t agree). This offers protection for minority views

• Regular elections lets you remove those that you disagree with

• The United States• Gets its name from the Roman

Republic

Presidential System

• A President is elected by the people to enforce or carry out the laws

• He is not part of the lawmaking or legislative branch

• The United States

Parliamentary System• The executive or person who

enforces or carries out laws is chosen by the legislative branch

• They are called a Prime Minister

• Not directly chosen by the people

• The two branches are working closely together. The Prime minister would not veto the laws made by the legislative body

Confederation• States come together to form a

Loose Friendship or Association

• States maintain sovreignty (independent rule) and act as nations

• States control money and trade

• The Confederation or friendship is usually just to fight a common enemy or promote trade between states

Federal System

• Two governments have authority to rule

• A central or national government (federal government) is given power to act on behalf of all states for defense, foreign trade, national goals (end pollution). National power is supreme

• State governments may also make laws for the common good of the people. State laws may not violate National laws.