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Political Systems
I.
Why do
civilizations form
political systems?
Introduction to Political Systems
A. Reasons for developing any political system - Purpose
of Government:
1. Organization - to avoid chaos
2. Stability - to establish a set of rules to provide
order
3. Security – to provide safety for its citizens
B. Parts of political systems:
Why are laws
necessary?
1. Legislative - Creating law or rules for people of a
society to live by
a. Laws – Rule for a society to follow; to provide
stability and safety of a society.
b. Codified Laws – Laws that are written down
or recorded
What is the
advantage of
written laws?
Examples of Codified Law Systems:
a. Hammurabi’s Code – Codified laws of Babylon
that were strict and harsh; “Eye for and Eye”
b. Law of 12 Tables – Laws in the Roman Empire
that guaranteed the rights of all Roman
citizens
What happens
when laws are not
followed?
c. Justinian Code – A collection of written civil
laws that provided order in the Eastern
Roman Empire/Byzantine Empire
2. Executive - Method of enforcing the law by
creating punishments for those who break the
laws.
3. Judicial - Method of judging conduct and
interpreting law by setting up courts to set
punishments for those who break the laws to
provide justice.
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C. Systems of Political Organization
1. Types of Political Units
a. City-state - small, independent cities built
around a larger area (ex: Greece – Athens,
Sparta)
Why do you
civilizations find it
necessary to
expand into an
empire?
b. Nation-state - An independent state or country.
England, France, China)
c.
II.
Empire - A group of states or territories that
were conquered and controlled by one ruler
(Rome)
Types of Political Systems
A. Centralized Governments – A form of government
where power is concentrated or consolidated in one
area (ex: kings, dictators, emperors)
B. Decentralized Governments – A form of government
where power is delegated or distributed from the top
(ex: Feudalism)
C. Dynasty - A succession of rulers of a country that
come from the same family
Examples of Dynasties:
a. China – Shang, Zhou, Han, Tang, Song, Ming
D. Dynastic Cycle – Political cycle in China that
explains the rise and fall of dynasties
a. New Dynasty - brings peace and prosperity
b. Old dynasty - loses the Mandate of Heaven
because of heavy taxes, wars, revolts, invaders,
natural disasters
E. Mandate of Heaven – Chinese theory that the power
to rule comes from heaven (justify complete control)
F. Monarchy - Government headed by king or a queen
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Imagine yourself as
an Absolute Ruler.
How would this
change you?
Types of monarchies:
a. Absolute Monarchy - Government where a
King or Queen has complete control.
b. Divine Right – Theory that a monarch’s power
came from God. It was used to justify the
absolute control of the monarch
Examples of Absolute Monarchs:
Can absolute rulers
be fair and just?
Louis XIV – France
Phillip II – Spain
Peter the Great – Russia
Catherine the Great – Russia
Henry VIII – England
Suleiman the Magnificent – Ottoman
Empire
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
c. Limited Monarchy – King or queen shares their
power with a law making body
Example of Limited Monarchy:
1. England after the Glorious Revolution –
English parliament shared power with its
monarchs.
C. Democracy - Government where the people hold
the power
Why can’t Direct
Democracies work
on a large scale?
Types of Democracies:
a. Direct-democracy – Form of democracy
where people have direct say in
governmental decisions
1. Athens, Greece – All male citizens over
the age of 20 were allowed to vote (No
women, slaves, foreigners)
How is it possible
for Republics to
have ‘bad
government?’
b. Republic – Form of government where
people vote for elected officials
1. Roman Republic – Male citizens elected
officials to the Senate, the most powerful
governmental body of Rome.
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D. Dictatorship – Government ruled by individual who
has complete control over a government for a limited
period of time. (Times of crisis)
Examples of Dictatorships:
a. Julius Caesar – Rome
b. Adolf Hitler – Germany
c. Josef Stalin – Soviet Union
d. Fidel Castro - Cuba
What are the
advantages of a
totalitarian society?
E. Totalitarian – Government that has total control of its
people
Examples of Totalitarian Governments/Societies:
a. Sparta – Lives of citizens were controlled in
a military dictatorship
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What is the
inherent problem
with Theocracies?
Age 7 - Boys start training
Age 20 – Allowed to marry
Age 30 - Joined elite forces
Age 60 - Eligible to retire
Women – must train bodies to
provide fit sons for the army
F. Theocracy - Government controlled by the religious
doctrine or religious leaders
Examples of theocracies:
a. Iran – Religious ideals of Islam, based on
the Sharia (regulate government, family
matters, diets, business practices)
b. England – Henry VIII makes himself the
leader of the Anglican Church (church of
England)
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G. Communism – Political system where a dictator sets
up a totalitarian state where he controls all aspects of
life, especially the economy
Examples of Communist States:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Why can extreme
nationalism be used
for bad/evil
purposes?
The Soviet Union - Russia
China
North Korea
Cuba
Vietnam
H. Fascism – Government based on extreme nationalism
and an all-powerful state (Develops during times of
crisis)
Examples of Fascist Regimes:
a. Nazi Germany – 1930’s – WWII
b. Italy - 1930’s to WWII
I. Feudalism – Decentralized political system where
land is exchanged for loyalty, military service and
protection. (Weak leaders)
1.
In Feudalism;
Land = wealth =
power
Each group exchanged land for loyalty,
services, and protection
King
Lords and Vassals
Knights
Peasants
Serfs
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