This document outlines and compares different types of governments: monarchy, democracy, dictatorship, and theocracy. It provides advantages and disadvantages of each type as well as examples. Monarchies are ruled by a royal family but have limited individual rights. Democracies protect rights and allow public input but take more time. Dictatorships are organized but limit individual freedoms. Theocracies are ruled by religious leaders and dogma.

1. TYPES OF
GOVERNMENTS
What are the types of governments we
find in our world and what are their
advantages and disadvantages?

2. MONARCHY—a royal
family
 Advantages: stable, controlled,
traditional, unifying.
 Disadvantages: No criteria (other than
birth) for ruling, expensive, monarch is
remote from everyday people, limited
individual rights, no voting.
 Examples: Jordan, Monaco

3. Using cows to explain
monarchy
 You have two cows.

4. Using cows to explain
monarchy
 You have two cows.
 The monarch allows you the privilege of
milking your cows and giving him ½ the milk.
 If you complain, the monarch will take both
your cows and the milk.

5. DEMOCRACY—rule by
the people.
 Advantages: protects individual rights, input is
taken from many different sources to make a
governmental decision, people are the
government.
 Disadvantages: takes more time to make
decisions, more costly.
 Examples: Canada, USA, Japan, Korea. (none
are direct democracies)
 According to the State of the World Atlas, 44%
of the world’s population live in a stable
democracy.

6. Using cows to explain
democracy
 You have two cows.

7. Using cows to explain
democracy
 You have two cows.
 After milking your cows, you and your
neighbors all vote on who should get the
milk.

8. Using cows to explain
democracy
 You have two cows.
 After milking your cows, you and your
neighbors all vote on who should get the
milk.
 Whoever gets the most votes gets the
milk.

9. DICTATORSHIP—one
person has all the
power.
 Advantages: organized and controlled.
Efficient and there are no public protests
or riots.
 Disadvantages: limited individual rights,
uncertain transition of power, usually
dependent on the military, no debate, no
free press, no opposition parties.
 Ex: Pakistan, Sudan, Cuba

10. Using cows to explain
dictatorship
 You have two cows.

11. Using cows to explain
dictatorship
 You have two cows.
 The government takes the cows, and
gives you nothing for them
 If you complain about it, they put you in
jail or shoot you

12. THEOCRACY---rule by
the clergy
 A theocracy is a country in which the
religious leaders are also leaders in the
government. The society is run by
religious beliefs and dogma. Iran is the
only theocracy we have today, but there
are many groups that are fighting for their
nation to become a theocracy such as in
Palestine, Afghanistan, Egypt and
Pakistan.

13. Using cows to explain
theocracy
 You have two cows.

14. Using cows to explain
theocracy
 You have two cows.
 The government tells you that if you want
to keep your cows and continue farming,
you have to follow the religion of the
leaders.