AUTOCRACY

Also known as/ related to: One form of an autocracy is a dictatorship where a military leader secures
power often through violent means. Another form of autocracy is an absolute monarchy where a person
becomes the sole leader of a country by being born into a family of rulers. Birth order and gender often
determine who becomes a ruler in a monarchy, including an absolute monarchy.
Explanation: A dictatorship is a government headed by a dictator.
Originally a military office, the dictator had absolute power, but for a limited time.
In the twentieth century, the term dictatorship has come to mean a government in which absolute power is
concentrated in the hands of a dictator and sometimes his closest associates. Many dictators have held
the formal title of "President", but they often hold unlimited, often non-constitutional powers.
Dictators can come to power in a variety of ways. They can be elected, be appointed by the ruling party,
or inherit their position. Still other modern dictators take power using violence and are supported by the
military.
The dictator generally controls the three government powers: legislative, executive and judicial.
In a dictatorship, there are no elections. Sometimes dictators can first obtain power from democratic
elections, but shortly after being elected the dictator will ban all opposing parties and cancel all future
elections. Though free elections will never occur under a dictatorship, sometimes dictators arrange for
phony elections in an attempt to grant themselves the appearance of democracy and public support.
For most of history dictatorship has been the most common form of rule. In early European history power
was held by a variety of absolute monarchs who ruled their kingdoms with mostly unlimited powers. As
the years went on, support for the people ruling themselves, and the rule of law, began to spread, and so
too did the rise of constitutions and democracy. Monarchs lost most of their powers to elected legislature
and in some cases were ended altogether, and replaced by republics.
In the 20th Century two World Wars were fought to prevent the rapid territorial expansion of
dictatorships. Most of those who started World War One were the few remaining absolute monarchs of
Europe, while in World War Two the villains were the elected dictators of Germany and Italy.
When World War Two ended, there was a widespread "dumping" of former European colonies in Asia
and Africa. In many cases independence was granted to these territories before it should have been, and
many of these new nations quickly collapsed into a military dictatorship. The post-WW2 Cold War
between the dictatorship of the Soviet Union and the United States of America also greatly affected
global dictatorships, with many of the world's dictators able to combine their hold on power by respecting
the interests of the U.S. and the Soviet Union. When the Cold War ended, many dictatorships (including
the Soviet Union itself) quickly collapsed and were replaced by democratic governments.
Today, dictatorship has reached a global low. South and Latin America, which were once largely
controlled by the rule of the military are now largely free and democratic, as well. Dictatorships remain
in certain regions of Africa, Asia, and most of the Middle East. A new global commitment to human
rights has also helped force many dictators out of favor, and prevent the rise of new ones. Today, dictators
and dictatorship members are often held accountable for their acts, such as through the United Nations.
Source: Adapted from Dictatorship available at: http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/di/Dictatorship

COMMUNISM
Also known as/ related to: Socialism
Explanation: Communism is a classless society (no social classes) in which all property is owned by the
community as a whole and where all people are entitled to equal social and economic status. As a
political movement, communism is intended to overthrow capitalism (property based economy protected
by the government) through a workers revolution and redistribute the wealth in the hands of the working
class.
Communist ideas have existed since ancient times. Primitive humans, living in tribes, worked for the
benefit of their entire clan and shared the fruits of their labor.
Many great thinkers have supported advanced Communist ideas. In his 4th-century BC work The
Republic, the Greek philosopher Plato proposed the communal ownership of property by an intellectual
ruling class, to put the welfare of the state above personal desire and moderate the greed of the producing
classes.
The idea floated around during the Enlightenment and influenced many philosophers. The greatest
amount was on Rousseau, who was to have the greatest influence on the French Revolution.
The ideas of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, found in their Communist Manifesto, changed communism
into a revolutionary movement. Marx and Engels claimed Communism did not have to occur in isolated
communities, but globally. According to the Manifesto all history can be explained in terms of class
struggles. In each society, a minority of people owned or controlled the means (method) of production,
made up by the ruling class. Most people owned and controlled very little.
At the current stage of capitalism the capitalists who controlled the means of production took advantage
of the industrial workers by paying low wages and keeping the profits to themselves. In other words,
workers had to work to meet their own needs and those of the ruling class taking advantage of them.
Marx thought it was only a matter of time before the working classes of the world, realizing their
common goals, would unite to take control from the capitalists and redistribute the wealth. The
establishment of communism would be the inevitable outcome of a historical process.
According to Marx, capitalism would become socialism then eventually to communism.
Communism is sometimes also used to mean, particularly in capitalist nations, an autocratic government
run by the Communist Party, where central planning is used as a means of production and distribution.
Because these types of governments have often committed human rights abuses, some regard this idea of
Communism as dangerous.
Marxists disagree with this approach because Marxist communism refers to the ideal stateless (no
government), propertyless, and classless society with no abuse of workers and a focus on freedom.
Society runs based on this view:
From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.
Many nations in the 20th century were run by such Communist Parties, who identified themselves as true
communists and tried to govern themselves according to their view of Marxist principles.
Source: Adapted from Communism available at: http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/co/Communism

DIRECT DEMOCRACY
Explanation: Democracy means the rule by the people. That is where each individual person has a vote
about what to do. Whatever the most people vote for becomes the law. There is no king or tyrant, and
anybody can propose a new law.
Direct democracy is a phrase that represents decisions where citizens pass laws directly, without using
representatives. The best known way that direct democracy is practiced is the initiative, which allows
citizens to place proposals on the ballot that become law if a majority of the electorate votes in favor.
The referendum is a form of initiative where voters may accept or reject proposals/laws made by their
representatives but does not permit citizens to make their own proposals.
One problem that comes up in a direct democracy is determining who is going to be able to vote. It was
much easier to allow fewer people to vote because fewer had to be taken from their regular work to vote.
However, the less people that were allowed to vote, the less that the principle of rule by the people was
practiced.
The earliest direct democracy in the world began in Athens, Greece in 510 BC which allowed only men
to vote. When democracy proved to be successful in Athens, many other city-states (cities that also
served the role of nations) chose it for their government too. But most of them allowed even fewer people
to vote than Athens did: most of the other city-states only allowed free adult male citizens to vote if they
owned land or owned their own houses (that is, the richer people).
Another problem for direct democracies was that it was not easy for men to always be going to the
meeting-place to vote. Most men had work to do such as planting their grain, making shoes, fighting wars
or doing other types of work. They couldn't be always voting. So most democracies sooner or later ended
up choosing a few men who would do most of the voting, and the rest only came when there was a really
important vote. It was hard to decide how to choose these few men, and different cultures did it different
ways. Athens did it by a lottery where every man had an equal chance to be chosen at random to vote.
Those men who were chosen served for one year.
Direct democracy spread around the Mediterranean (referring to the countries of Europe that bordered the
Mediterranean Sea) but it was pretty much wiped out by the Roman Empire about 100 BC. Still, places
like Athens continued to use direct democracy to make their own decisions on local matters for a long
time after that.
A thousand years later, in the Middle Ages, some cities went back to having a democratic government.
These were all organized in slightly different ways, but none of them allowed the poor or women to vote,
and some had a lottery system like Athens.
Sources: Adapted from Democracy available at: http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/government/democracy.htm and
Direct Democracy in The Encyclopedia of Public Choice available at:
http://www.credoreference.com.ezproxy.lib.ucf.edu/entry/sprpubchoice/direct_democracy, Accessed January 2013.

MONARCHY
Explanation: Monarchy is a form of government in which power is held by a single person whose right
to rule is based on birth (that person is born into a family of kings and queens) and who has the power to
remain in office for life. The power of this sovereign may vary; there are absolute monarchies (a type of
autocracy) and constitutional monarchies, where the monarch is strongly limited by a constitution that
outlines a rule of law. Monarchy has existed since about 3000 BC and was often established during
periods of threat or crisis because it provided an efficient focus of power.
In most countries with monarchies, the monarch serves as a symbol of strength and statehood. Many
countries have strong rules against the monarch becoming involved in partisan politics. In some cases,
the symbolism of monarchy along with the symbolism of a republic cause the combination to be divisive.
For example, there is the case of Australia where the question of keeping a monarch as head of state
touches on divisive and debated questions of national identity.
Since 1800, many of the world's monarchies have become republics. Most countries which retain
monarchy have limited the monarch's power, with most having become constitutional monarchies.
England's monarchy was famously limited by the Magna Carta of 1215.
In some cases, a monarchy based on birth exists, but actual power resides in the military. On several
occasions throughout history, the same person has served as monarch of separate independent countries.
In the 20th century, monarchs have generally become symbols of national unity, while real power has
been transferred to constitutional assemblies. Since the 1800s, democratic self-government has been
established and extended to such an extent that a true operating monarchy is not in place anywhere in the
world. Most remaining monarchies in place today are in the Middle East.
One interesting example is Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom who took power in 1952. As
Queen of the United Kingdom, she is the constitutional monarch of 16 governments including Australia,
Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Jamaica, among others. Queen Elizabeth has no real power
although she formally appoints high-ranking members of the Church of England based on advice that she
receives from the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. This power comes from Queen Elizabeth
being the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Queen Elizabeths limited powers are quite
different compared with the powers held by King George III from whom the colonists declared
independence in 1776.
The rules for choosing monarchs varies from country to country. In constitutional monarchies the rule of
succession is generally found in a law passed by parliament. Most European monarchies of the 21st
century pass power from the oldest male and then the oldest female if no males are qualified although
other constitutional monarchies allow only males to serve as monarchs.
Monarchies can come to an end in several ways. There may be a revolution in which the monarchy is
overthrown; or there may be a referendum in which the electorate decides to form a republic. In some
cases, the monarchy may be overthrown and then restored.
Sources: Adapted from Monarchy available at: http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/mo/Monarchy and Monarchy and Kingship available at:
http://www.questia.com/library/politics-and-government/systems-of-government/monarchy-and-kingship

OLIGARCHY
Explanation: Oligarchy means the rule of the few, and those few are generally the people who are richer
and more powerful than the others. Because those with power in oligarchies are generally the rich in a
society, oligarchies are generally bad for the poor.
People who rule in oligarchies may be elected, born into their positions, or may have a certain amount of
money or land which entitles them to be a part of the ruling group.
Oligarchies are often controlled by a few powerful families whose children are raised and taught to
inherit the power of the oligarchy, often at some sort of expense to those who are governed. This power
may not always be exercised openly as there may be oligarchs who prefer to exercise control through
economic methods. It has also been suggested that most so-called communist countries fit the definition
of oligarchy, in that the cruelest segment of society comes to power by overthrowing other oligarchs.
A society may become an oligarchy as a result of the shifting alliances of warring tribal chiefs, although
any form of government may change into an oligarchy at some point in its history. The most likely way
for this change to happen is a slow buildup of otherwise unchecked economic power. Oligarchies may
also evolve into more classically authoritarian forms of government, sometimes as the result of one
family gaining power over the others. Many of the European monarchies established during the late
Middle Ages began in this manner.
Oligarchies may also become instruments of change, insisting that monarchs or dictators share power,
thereby opening the door to power-sharing by other elements of society. One example of this process
occurred when English nobles banded together in 1215 to force a reluctant King John I of England to
sign the Magna Carta, which showed recognition both of King John's decreasing political power and
recognition that an oligarchy was coming into place. As English society continued to grow and develop,
the Magna Carta was repeatedly revised (1216, 1217, and 1225), guaranteeing greater rights to greater
numbers of people, thus setting the stage for British constitutional monarchy.
Oligarchy was first identified as a form of government by the Greek philosopher Aristotle. In modern
times there have been a number of oligarchies which sometimes pose as democracies.
In ancient Greece an oligarchy meant a constitution where a portion of the community was in possession
of power. At that time, although it was acknowledged that an aristocracy often developed into an
oligarchy, the two were distinguished: oligarchy meaning the government of the wealthy, who were
looked upon as directing their efforts towards their own betterment and the maintenance of their own
power and privileges, while aristocracy meant the rule of the best people for the public good.
There are some who argue that the United States is an informal or hidden oligarchy because power in the
U.S. republic is limited to the few who are wealthy. The few who are elected in the U.S. tend to be
wealthier and better educated than those they represent.
Sources: Adapted from Oligarchy available at: http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/government/oligarchy.htm Oligarchy available at:
http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/ol/Oligarchy and Oligarchy available at:
http://www.credoreference.com.ezproxy.lib.ucf.edu/entry/heliconhe/oligarchy, Accessed January 2013.

REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY
Also known as/ related to: Republic
Explanation: A republic, or representative democracy, is understood to be an independent state ruled by
representatives of the citizens of a nation. The term republic used to mean a form of government that was
not based on a monarchy and had popular control of the government. Today, in addition to the above
characteristics, a republic is a government in which all citizens have the right to vote and in which the
government's power is limited by a constitution.
A republic is different from a direct democracy in that the republic operates through a representative
assembly chosen by the citizenry, while in a democracy the public participates directly in governmental
affairs. In actual practice, most modern representative governments are closer to a republic than a
democracy.
In a republic, instead of voting directly about what they want to do, as in a democracy, people instead
vote for people to represent them, and those people decide what to do.
Citizens of a representative democracy based on a form of majority voting may have an equal say at the
ballot box, but such a system does not guarantee that their interests will be represented. This form of
representative democracy does not therefore necessarily prevent a dictatorship of the cultural majority,
whereby representatives of minority cultures either fail to get elected or are too few in number to have
any impact within the legislature.
The meaning of representation is a question central to representative democracy.
Two principal meanings suggest themselves. One meaning suggests that representation means reflecting
or mirroring citizen groups that make up a society; the legislature should look like the society. Another
meaning suggests that the legislature acts on behalf of those it represents even if the background of the
representative is different from the citizens he or she represents.
The first republic was the Roman Republic (in Italy), which was founded about 509 BC, just about the
same time as the first democracy in Athens, Greece. The rules about who could vote were about the same
as in Athens too: slaves couldn't vote, and neither could women, or children, or men who were not
citizens. In addition, in Rome you could only vote if you owned land, so a lot of poor men could not vote
at all even though they were free citizens.
The republic was a lot more efficient than the direct democracy, because most men who could vote only
needed to vote in the big elections, and the rest of the time they could be at work. Only the Senators, the
elected representatives, had to be voting all the time. And men who had been elected to be judges or to
run the city, those were full-time jobs. Only people who could vote could be elected, so only free men
who were citizens and owned land could run for office.
But the aristocrats (the rich people) fixed it so that it was pretty much impossible to elect anyone who
was not already an aristocrat to the Senate. So this republic was a lot like an oligarchy in that it tended to
be run by rich people.
Sources: Adapted from Republic available at: http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/government/republic.htm, Democracy in Encyclopedia of
Nationalism: Leaders, Movements, Concepts available at: http://www.credoreference.com.ezproxy.lib.ucf.edu/entry/estnational/democracy and
Republic in The Columbia Encyclopedia available at: http://www.credoreference.com.ezproxy.lib.ucf.edu/entry/columency/republic, Accessed
January 2013.

SOCIALISM
Also known as/ related to: Communism
Explanation: Socialism usually refers to an economic system based on corporate (business) capitalism
(property based economy protected by the government), but where the government takes an active role in
the economy and is responsible for broad economic planning in the long term and for protecting those
who can be taken advantage of from any abusive characteristic of the market economy. Socialism is
often considered an improvement on capitalism.
Social Democrats (a political view based on moving from capitalism to socialism) believe that socialism
is desirable and achievable. Many Social Democrats argue that socialism already exists in some
countries. Conservatives, however, view this type of socialism as bureaucratic (an approach where
unelected persons are responsible for enforcing the laws established by government) and inefficient.
Conservatives also argue that socialism creates lazy, dependent people who gain unfairly.
Among a number of conservatives, particularly in the United States, this type of "socialism" is regarded
as basically the same as a communist-run economic system which they dislike.
To an extent all capitalists use elements of these social democratic policies. The term mixed economy
is often used to describe this practical situation. In this description all real economies involve both free
markets and government control. Among those of major countries, the economy of the United States best
looks like a free market, while other economies such as those of Germany or France are closer to a mixed
economy that are one half socialist and one half capitalist. The Soviet Union under Gorbachev (19851991) was attempting to move towards a socialist system with strong free market elements when it
collapsed. Even under other Soviet leaders, such as Joseph Stalin (1941-1953) or Leonid Brezhnev
(1964-1982) there was a thriving black market (economy where items are bought and sold outside the
law) in the Soviet Union so it could be said to be a mixed economy as well even though it leaned heavily
towards government control.
Karl Marx, who co-wrote the Communist Manifesto, focused on control of the means of production,
which he saw as passing from monarchs to the upper-middle-class creating capitalists under capitalism,
and then to the workers themselves, whose contributions he saw as not being given enough credit.
According to Marx, socialism is the period of between the overthrow of bourgeois rule and the
development of a classless, communist society. Marx described the function of socialism as completing
the process of making everyone equal, building and developing industry and farming, and defending the
revolution from external attack using the military. As this process was completed, the socialist state
would "wither away" in favor of the final stage of history, the classless "Communism of Abundance".
"Socialism" is a decision making structure that rests with central planners whose own goals are set by
elite committees or even individual rulers.
Conservative critics often argue that all socialist governments are anti-democratic, because the increased
"size" and power of such governments represents a concentration of power unseen in capitalist societies.
In addition, some believe that all economic organization not consistent with the free market violates
human rights and democratic principles.
Source: Adapted from Socialism available at: http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/so/Socialism