Aim: Which type of government is the best?Do Now: Your teachers won the

lottery and are taking you on vacation! Unfortunately, we just

crash landed on a deserted island. Your teachers did not

survive, but you and your classmates are alive and alone.

Will you work together and create a new society? Or will

you form gangs, kill each other, and live in chaos?NY State Learning Standards 2

Common Core RS 1, 2, 6, WS 1, LS 1, 3, 4

I What is Government?Government is an organized system of leaders,

lawmakers, and judges. It keeps order and organizes a society. This way, citizens and those in power know

what is expected of them.

II What Happens When There is No Government?A society without government is in a state of anarchy.

Somali Pirates

III Types of GovernmentA) Democracy

1. Citizens have the right to vote.2. Usually provides human rights, but not always.3. First democracy was founded in Athens, 6th century BCE. It

was a direct democracy; the most votes wins!

“[Our government] favors the many instead of the few; this is why it is called a democracy…” – Pericles Funeral Oration, 5th century BCE

Types of Government Continued…B) Republic

1. A Republic is a type of democracy. Citizens vote for people to represent them in the government.

2. The first Republic was founded in Rome, 509 BCE3. The United States is a Democratic-Republic; we vote for

Congressmen and Senators to represent us in our government.Do you recognize our NY State Senators? You

should; they represent all New Yorkers in Washington D.C.!

Types of Government Continued…C) Communism

1.Karl Marx and Frederic Engels wrote The Communist Manifesto. It described the theory of a communist government. The workers will rebel against the business owners, and create a society where all citizens are treated equally, with an equal distribution of wealth.

2.The first Communist government was created in Russia in 1917.

Types of Government Continued…D) Theocracy

1. A theocracy is controlled by religious leaders.2. In Ancient Egypt, the Pharaoh was a King as well as the

religious leader. Today, while Iran has a president, its religious leaders have more power.

Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran’s most powerful religious leader

Types of Government Continued…E) Oligarchy

1. An oligarchy is a small group of wealthy and powerful people who control an entire government (often in secret). 2. Ancient Sparta , an ancient Greek city-state was an

oligarchy.

Types of Government Continued…

F) Monarchy1. A monarchy is a government ruled by a king or queen.2. An absolute monarch has complete power.3. Queen Elizabeth II is the monarch of England. However,

she is a figurehead; she is not supposed to have real power.

Types of Government Continued…G) Feudalism

1. Feudalism is a government based on a system of reciprocity (exchange). A king or lord (powerful landowner) will provide land to a knight (warrior) in exchange for loyalty and protection.

2. Feudalism was the main system of government in medieval Europe.

Types of Government Continued…H) Totalitarianism

1. A totalitarian government has complete control over all aspects of the lives of its people.

2. Often headed by a dictator (one person with complete power)

3. The Nazi government of Germany in WWII was totalitarian.

In Nazi Germany, all blond and blue eyed German children were

forced to join the Hitler Youth. You did not have a choice. This photo

is from 1933.

Summary Questions1. Which 2 government systems do you like the most? Why?

2. Which 2 government systems do you like the least? Why?

3. Bonus Question: Read the quotes below. Which quote do you most agree with and why? Also, which government system do you think they would most support and why?

Thomas Hobbes

“The condition of man [in the state of nature] is a condition of war of everyone against everyone.”

John Locke

“Man in the state of nature is naturally good. However, with no law to organize & regulate the society, there will be chaos.”

Key VocabularyThomas HobbesJohn LockeGovernmentAnarchyDemocracyRepublicCommunismKarl MarxFrederic EngelsTheocracyOligarchyMonarchy

FeudalismTotalitarianismDictator

Which form of government would you most want to live under? Why?

Which form of government would

you least want to live under? Why?