Social

• Government


  A system to manage and balance the different needs, goals and interests of a country's population
• Purpose of government


  • Protect the rights of citizens
  • Promote the common good
  • Make decisions that are best for the country as a whole
  • Benefit as many people as possible
• Functions of government


  • Maintaining defence and national security
  • Raising revenue, budgeting and managing finances
  • Maintaining law and order
  • Foreign affairs
  • Providing support for agriculture and business through subsidies and financial assistance, and creating conditions for economic prosperity
• Government revenue


  Raised from direct and indirect taxes, sale of state-owned resources, and government bonds
• The government decides where all this money should be spent
• Main types of government

  • Monarchy
  • Democracy
  • Dictatorship
• Monarchy


  One individual is the monarch or ruler, rule is usually inherited and passed on within a family
• Absolute monarchy


  The ruler has total power and is not controlled by laws or a constitution
• Constitutional monarchy


  Decisions are made by members of the government within a constitution
• Democracy


  The people decide how they are going to be governed, most common form is representative democracy where people vote for representatives
• Political party


  A group of people who have similar ideas about what is best for a country and how it should be run
• Republic


  The people elect their representatives and there is an elected or nominated president instead of a monarch
• Dictatorship


  One person or group has the power to do whatever they choose, often take and keep control by use of force, people have very little freedom
• In a national election, each person gets a vote
• Head of state


  The highest public representative of the country
• Head of state


  • In some cases has a mainly ceremonial role but not much power
  • Represents the country but does not make or control policies
• Heads of state


  • Meet to discuss issues at a high level, as at this Afro-Arab summit held in Kuwait in 2013
• Head of government


  The person who has the highest position of authority in a government and runs the country
• Head of government


  • In some cases the head of state is also the head of the government
  • In a presidential republic, the president is head of state and head of government
  • In a parliamentary republic, the president is head of state but another person is the head of government
  • In a constitutional monarchy, the monarch is head of state but the Prime Minister or Premier is head of government
• Government ministers


  • A person who holds an important position within a government, and can make government policies and put these into practice
  • Ministers are usually given responsibility for a specific ministry such as education, energy or justice
• Cabinet


  • The ministers in the different ministries can form a Council of Ministers which is sometimes called the cabinet
  • A cabinet is often a body that makes policies and decisions
  • The power of the cabinet varies in different countries
• Countries and states join together to create a single state, such as the United Kingdom
• Some states join together in a federation to create a single country, such as India
• • The federal or central government makes policies and decisions on behalf of all the states
  • Each state also has some authority to manage its own internal affairs
• Different branches of government

  • Legislative Branch has the power to make laws
  • Executive Branch has the power to enforce the laws
  • Judiciary Branch decides on the fairness of laws and settles any disagreements about the laws