As our unit progresses, we will explore forms of government. Your student has homework that is due Friday that address these types of governments.
SS6CG1 The student will compare and contrast various forms of government. a. Describe the ways government systems distribute power: unitary, confederation, and federal. b. Explain how governments determine citizen participation: autocratic, oligarchic, and democratic. c. Describe the two predominant forms of democratic governments: parliamentary and presidential. Some extra information about SS6CG1 - This is a shared standard that will appear with each country that we study this year. After the first time it is taught, the information will be reviewed to help students make connections to the new learning. The intent of this standard is to lay a foundation for students to understand the basic organization of governments before attempting to compare actual governments. Students should be able to describe these ways governments distribute power or identify the type of distribution from a description. Unitary: characterized by or constituting a form of government in which power is held by one central authority; Examples: Cuba and the United Kingdom Federal: characterized by or constituting a form of government in which power is divided between one central and several regional authorities. Examples: Australia, Germany, Russia, Canada, Brazil, Mexico Confederation: voluntary associations of independent states that, to secure some common purpose, agree to certain limitations on their freedom of action and establish some joint machinery of consultation or deliberation. Example: European Union Students should be able to explain the different ways citizen participation in their government is defined. Autocratic: government in which one person possesses unlimited power and the citizen has little if any role in the government. Example: Cuba Oligarchic: government by the few, sometimes a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes. The citizen has a very limited role. Democratic: a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections. Examples: United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Canada, Australia The students should be able to explain each form of government and identify the major differences in these two forms of democratic governments. Parliamentary: a system of government having the real executive power vested in a cabinet composed of members of the legislature who are individually and collectively responsible to the legislature. May have a Prime Minister elected by the legislature. Example: United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany Presidential: a system of government in which the president is constitutionally independent of the legislature. Example: Mexico and Brazil Some sample CRCT questions for SSCG1 Cuba does not permit freedom of choice in elections and only the Communist Party is permitted. Cuba has a dictatorship in which power is held by one central authority. What type of government would Cuba be classified as? A. unitary* B. federal C. democracy D. confederation The government of Brazil has a national government and 26 state governments, each with some reserved powers and shared powers. What type of government would Brazil be classified as? A. unitary B. federal* C. oligarchy D. confederation You are a rich farmer in a small country, and part of the national government. Most of the people in your country are very poor. You are part of a small group of wealthy landowning families that holds all of the political power in your nation. This small group makes all political decisions for your country. When making decisions, you generally do what is best for your families rather than what is best for all the people in your country. Which form of government do you have? A. Parliamentary B. Democratic C. Presidential D. Oligarchic* What is a basic way citizens of a democratic nation can influence the government? A. voting* B. working C. obeying laws D. consuming goods Which type of government would most likely abolish all opposing political parties, the direct election of leaders, and free speech? A. republic B. constitutional monarchy C. autocratic* D. representative democracy All citizens participate equally in which type of government? A. Oligarchy B. Democracy* C. Autocracy D. Theocracy In which system of government does the legislature elect the executive leader of the government? A. presidential democracy B. communist C. parliamentary democracy* D. dictatorship Which best describes how a parliamentary democracy differs from a presidential democracy? A. The legislature consists of two houses. B. There are usually two major political parties. C. There are state as well as national governments. D. The head of the government is a member of the legislature.* The leader of the Parliament in countries such as Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom is called the A. speaker. B. president. C. chairman. D. prime minister.* You are the chief executive in your country’s democratically-elected national government. You came to power in the last election after your political party won a majority of seats in the national legislature. As the leader of your political party, you were chosen to be the head of government by your co-workers in the legislature. Which form of government do you have? A. parliamentary* B. presidential C. autocratic D. oligarchic SS6CG2 The student will explain the structures of national governments in Latin America and the Caribbean. a. Compare the federal-republican systems of the Federative Republic of Brazil (Brazil) and the United Mexican States (Mexico) to the dictatorship of the Republic of Cuba (Cuba), distinguishing the form of leadership and the role of the citizen in terms of voting and personal freedoms. When one compares the listed governments, only the type of leadership and the roles of the citizen are assessable. In identifying the type of leadership, students should know the type of leader (monarch, president, prime minister, etc.) and how this person becomes the country’s leader. To identify the role of the citizen, students should look at SS6CG1b and determine what role the citizen actually plays in the government. For personal freedoms, students should understand those freedoms in terms of such things as freedom of speech and freedom of the press as understood in the United States. Students should focus on how a leader of a specific country becomes its leader and what impact that has on the role of the citizen. Brazil and Mexico both have a Federal Republic. A Federal Republic is a state in which the powers of the central government are restricted and in which the component parts (states, colonies, or provinces) retain a degree of self-government; ultimate sovereign power rests with the voters who chose their governmental representatives. Cuba is a dictatorship. A dictatorship is a form of government in which a ruler or small clique wield absolute power (not restricted by a constitution or laws). Brazil Chief of state: President Head of government: President Brazil has a President who is both the chief of state and head of government. Elections: President and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single four-year term. Bicameral National Congress consists of the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. Members of the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies are elected. Suffrage: Voluntary between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70; compulsory over 18 and under 70 years of age; note - military conscripts do not vote Mexico Chief of state: President Head of government: President Mexico has a President who is both the chief of state and head of government. Elections: President elected by popular vote for a single six-year term. Bicameral National Congress consists of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. National Congress and Chamber of Deputies members are elected by popular vote. Suffrage: 18 years of age; compulsory (but not enforced) Cuba Chief of state: President Head of government: President Cuba has a President who is both the chief of state and head of government. Elections: President and vice president elected by the National Assembly (legislature) for a term of five years; election last held February 2008. The president and vice president were elected with 100% of the legislative vote. Cuba’s Communist Party is the only legal party, and officially sanctioned candidates to the Legislative branch (Nation Assembly) run unopposed. Unicameral National Assembly of People's Power. Members are elected directly from slates approved by special candidacy commissions to serve five-year terms. Fidel Castro ruled Cuba from 1959 to 2008. When he stepped down his brother Raul became ruler. Suffrage: 16 years of age. Some Sample CRCT Questions for SS6CG2 Cuba has a type of government in which the ruler has absolute power and is not restricted by a constitution, laws, or the citizens. Name the type of government. A. Federal-Republican B. Dictatorship* C. Parliamentary democracy D. Presidential democracy Cuba is an example of a type of government in which a ruler or small group has absolute power and is not restricted by a constitution or laws? A. republic. B. democracy. C. parliament. D. dictatorship.* Mexico has a president who is elected by the people. The powers of the central government are restricted and regional authorities retain a degree of self-government. Ultimate power rests with the voters who chose their governmental representatives. Which of the following terms BEST describes Mexico's form of government today? A. Military Dictatorship B. Federal Republic* C. Constitutional Monarchy D. Parliamentary Democracy
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