Basic Forms of Government Flashcards
Functions of a Government
- Defense- protects its citizens and its territory against external threats.
- Economic Development- helps in the sustenance and growth of the economy
- Law Enforcement- implementation of laws for peace and order in the state.
- Legitimation- legislation and administration of justice system.
Forms of Government
- As to number of persons exercising power
- As to extent of powers exercised by the central or national government
- As to the relationship between the executive and legislative branches.
- As to their legitimacy
Forms as to number of persons exercising power
- Monarchy
- Aristocracy
- Dictatorship
- Democracy
Monarchy
A government in which the supreme and final authority is in the hands of a single person without regard to the source of his election or the nature or duration of his tenure.
Two types of Monarchy
Absolute Monarchy and Limited or Constitutional Monarchy
Absolute Monarchy
The monarch rules in virtue of the divine right. He exercises absolute powers, he is the chief executive, the legislator and the judge at the same time. Ex: King Solomon (Bible)
Limited or Constitutional Monarchy
In a limited monarchy, the monarch rules in accordance with a constitution or set of laws to be followed. Ex: England
Aristocracy
Political power is exercised by a few privileged class. It was practiced before by ancient Greece. Likewise, ancient Rome also had this form consisting of the consuls, the senate, and the tribal assembly.
Dictatorship
Ruled by a dictator. Dictator usually would have its way to remain in office and maintain his power.
Types of Dictatorship
Authoritarian and Totalitarian
Authoritarian
The leader only controls the political sphere of a certain state.
Example: Ferdinand Marcos, Lee Kuan Yew (Singapore)
Totalitarian
Controls all aspects of life (politics, education, religion, culture)
Example: Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Mao Che Tung (Mao Zedong)
Democracy
Derived from Greek term “demos” which means people and “kratos” which means “rule”. The political power is exercised by the majority.
Types of Democracy
Direct: expressed directly and immediately through the people in a mass meeting or primary assembly.
Indirect or Republican: people elect representatives to represent them in the government.
Unitary
The control of national and local affairs is exercised by the central or national government. Ex: Philippines
Federal
Powers of government are divided between two sets of organs, one for national affairs and one for the local affairs. Ex: USA
Presidential
One in which the executive branch is constitutionally independent of the legislature as regards his policies, powers and tenure.
System: Executive, Judicial, Legislative
Parliamentary
The executive and legislative branch are fused into one body called the parliament which makes laws and policies at the same time enforcing it.
System: Executive and Legislative (Parliament), Judicial
Presidential vs Parliamentary
In presidential system, a president is elected by people, has a fixed term of office, may be removed from the office through legal processes, the bill is written by legislative then passed to executive making the bill more scrutinized as it undergoes tedious process. Meanwhile, in parliament system, people elect the members of parliament, the prime minister is voted by the members of the parliament, his tenure will last until the parliament vote for loss of confidence, and the law making process is faster.
How many readings does a bill undergoes in presidential system?
Three.
Congress consists of?
Senate (Upper house) and House of Representatives (Lower house)
Dejure
Called as the legitimate government.
Defacto
Has no legal recognition.
The distinction between dejure and defacto only becomes relevant when?
There are two existing governments at the same time. Example: Snap Election in the Philippines during 1986. Cory Aquino vs Ferdinand Marcos
