2 - FORMS OF STATE AND POLITICAL REGIMES

Question 1

UNITARY STATE

Answer 1

State governed as a single entity, where central government has supreme authority
(authority may be delegated by central authority to lower lvl institutions, but it cant be ^/v at any time)
(central govt. can create/abolish administrative divisions, that only have the powers the CG delegates to them)
a unitary state has ONE
constitution
legislative power
citizenship
sovereignty

Question 2

Federation (5)

Answer 2

decentralized single state made up of self governing provinces/states, under a central federal government
(still has one territory)
> sovereignty belongs to the FED itself
> general/most important interests up to the FED govt
> self government of provinces, division of power between them and the FED, is enforced by constitution, not by decision

Question 3

UNITARY STATE ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES

Answer 3

• greater union
• less expensive to administer
• less constitutional complications

. minority group interests are not always catered to
. more bureaucracy

Question 4

ADV/DIS OF A FEDERATION

Answer 4

• creates better environment to act communally, not solitarily
• interests of minorities better addressed
• ## less bureaucracy because power is more distributed. difficult to divide power equally
  . less solidarity
  . administrative costs are higher because services are duplicated
  . constitution restricts the power of federal authority - national interest can’t always be served

Question 5

CONFEDERATION

Answer 5

union of sovereign groups united for defense, foreign relations, internal trade/currency
- created by a treaty in order to strengthen cooperation
each state in treaty keeps its autonomy
confederate states have only 1 body of government - the confederate parliament
eg EU, canada
SIMILAR TO FEDERATION BECAUSE ITS POWER IS NOT AS CENTRALISED AS A UNITARY STATE
DIFFERENT FROM FEDERATION BECAUSE IT HAS MANY STATES

Question 6

DEMOCRACY

Answer 6

• form of political regime established in ancient athens
• citizens exercise power directly or elect representatives from among themselves to form a governing body, such as a parliament

can be POLITICAL - right to vote and be elected
and ECONOMIC - same as pol, but insists on respecting basic social and econ. rights of people

Question 7

DIRECT DEMOCRACY

Answer 7

people have authority to decide legislation personally
representative democracy is most common, people elect govt. officials by majority of votes

INSTRUMENTS:
referendum (direct vote by all members of electorate on an important public question eg constitution changes)
people’s veto (voters can petition on whether legislation should take effect)
petition (citizen’s initiative)

Question 8

INDIRECT DEMOCRACY INSTRUMENTS

Answer 8

active suffrage (right to vote)
passive suffrage (right to stand for election)

Question 9

AUTOCRACY

Answer 9

originated in sparta
supreme power is concentrated in the hands of one person/a minority
- it rules on behalf of its self interest
decisions made by authority aren’t subject to legal restraints

formal autocracy: no democratic institutions, no rights guaranteed to people

real autocracy: ^those exist only on paper but not really

Question 10

8 TYPEs of autocracy

Answer 10

dictatorship
tyranny: violent rule of one person over vassals
absolute monarchy: monarch holds absolute power that can only be inherited
oligarchy: rule by most powerful small group of privileged ppl
aristocracy: rule by nobility
theocracy: rule by priesthood
plutocracy: rule by wealthiest
totalitarianism: state holds total authority over society and controls all aspects of public & private life