ss.7.c.3.1: forms of government

 All countries have a government, though there are many types. Depending on the type of government, the citizens’ and officials’ power and role in the country may vary. The main types of government are democracies, republics, monarchies, dictatorships, and theocracies. Democracies and republics are quite similar; however, democracies give direct power to the citizens in government or in voting and republics have representatives that are elected by the citizens to work in the government for them. Monarchies have a queen and or a king that inherit their status through succession. Dictatorships are opposite of a democracy, as there is one person with complete power and the citizens have no say in what happens in the government, this position as leader is usually taken by force. There is also another form of dictatorship, called an oligarchy, where there is a small group of people in control. Lastly, there are theocracies, governments that are controlled by religious leaders, who rule by their religion’s beliefs.