Forms of government can be organized in different ways and ruled through different systems. There are three main ways governments are organized: centralized with power coming from one source, federal with power shared between central and local levels, and confederation with independent states loosely allied. Governments are also ruled through autocracy by a single ruler, oligarchy by a small group, or democracy either directly by all citizens or representatively through elected officials. Modern representative democracy is the most common form today where power is separated among legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

1. Forms of Government

2. I. Introduction
A. What does the government do?
1. Provides national security
2. Public services (roads, bridges)
3. Protects life, liberty, property
4. Makes economic decisions (taxes, trade, money)
5. Provides all of these for a state – a specific
territory and population that has sovereignty.

3. B. Ways to Organize
1. Centralized or unitary – power comes from
one place – Paris in France.
2. Federal – power is shared between central
and local government Germany, Mexico, and
USA.
3. Confederation – loose alliance of
independent states – USA under the Articles
of Confederation.

4. C. Ways to Rule
1. Autocracy
a. Monarchy – King or Queen, usually an inherited position. Usually is
supported or detested by other nobles.
b. Dictator – military support is required for one man rule, often through a
one party system. Erosion of rights to retain power angers people.
c. Emperor – similar to monarch, but over a diverse population.

5. 2. Oligarchy
a. Aristocracy – nobility rules as a group – Athens before democracy
b. Communist Party Rule – Modern day Communist Party in China rules over 1
billion people.
c. Military Control – Myanmar is ruled by army, little relationship between rest
of world.

6. 3. Democracy
a. Direct – everyone votes on laws
i. Rarely exists, complicated to run.
ii. Towns run by hall meetings is an example.
iii. Ancient Athens was close, but foreign born and women could
not vote.
b. Representative – Republic – This is the government of most nation-states
today including the USA.

7. D. Branches of government
1. Legislative – makes the law (Congress)
2. Executive – carries out the law (President)
3. Judicial – interprets the law (Supreme Court)