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Governments & Power Distribution

SSCG1: A Determine how governments differ in geographic distribution of power, particularly unitary, confederal, and federal types of government.
SSCG1: B Determine how some forms of government differ in their level of citizen participation particularly authoritarian (autocracy and oligarchy) and democratic.
Who holds the power?
Autocracy

Oligarchy

Democracy

Unitary System

Federal System

Confederal System

1 answer

1. Power Distribution in Different Government Types

A. Geographic Distribution of Power

  1. Unitary System

    • Definition: A system of government in which power is centralized in a single, central authority.
    • Power Holder: National government holds most, if not all, the power, with limited or no powers granted to subnational entities (e.g., regions, states, or municipalities).
    • Example: United Kingdom, France

  2. Federal System

    • Definition: A system of government that divides power between a central authority and various subnational entities.
    • Power Holder: Both the national (federal) government and the subnational entities (states/provinces) hold significant powers, often constitutionally defined.
    • Example: United States, Canada, Germany

  3. Confederal System

    • Definition: A system where a union of sovereign states delegates some powers to a central government while retaining most of the authority at the local level.
    • Power Holder: The majority of power lies with the individual states or regions, with a weak central authority.
    • Example: Articles of Confederation in the early United States, European Union (to some extent)

B. Citizen Participation in Government

  1. Autocracy

    • Definition: A system of government in which one person (or a small group) holds absolute power.
    • Power Holder: Power is concentrated in a single leader (dictator) or ruling elite.
    • Example: North Korea, Saudi Arabia

  2. Oligarchy

    • Definition: A system of government where a small group of people holds power, often determined by wealth, family ties, or military control.
    • Power Holder: Wealthy or elite individuals/groups control political power, often to serve their interests.
    • Example: Russia (often cited by critics), certain historical city-states like Venice.

  3. Democracy

    • Definition: A system of government in which power is vested in the people, who exercise that power directly or through elected representatives.
    • Power Holder: Citizens hold the power, either directly (in direct democracy) or indirectly (in representative democracy).
    • Example: Sweden, India, Australia

Summary Table

| Type of Government | Power Distribution | Who Holds Power | |--------------------------|--------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------| | Autocracy | Centralized | One individual or small group | | Oligarchy | Centralized | A small elite class | | Democracy | Distributed | The citizens | | Unitary System | Centralized | National government | | Federal System | Distributed between levels | Both national and state/provincial governments | | Confederal System | Mostly localized | Individual member states |

This framework showcases how the geographic distribution of power varies among government systems, and how the power dynamics differ based on the level of citizen participation.