Opening Activity

Get with your group members from yesterday and review your 5 proposals. Choose 3 that will be presented to the class for a vote.

Choose one person to present these proposals.

Cultural Characteristics

Nations and Governments

What is government?

Government: a groups’ political system.

Since each culture is different, so are the types of government that exist today.

Democracy: rule by the people. People govern.

Republic: the people elect representatives to make and enforce the laws for them.

This is sometimes referred to as a Representative Democracy.

Barack Obama

Joe Biden

Monarchy: rule by a king or queen.

Queen Beatrix

Constitutional Monarchy: the country has a monarch, but that person has little real power. Instead, most of the power rests with the elected lawmaking group.

Queen Elizabeth II

Gordon Brown

Dictatorship: rule by one person or a small group of people.

Most dictators seize power in some capacity.

Monarchs are hereditary, dictators are not.

Anarchy: the complete absence of government.

While this may sound nice, no government interference, what problems could arise because of it?

Theocracy: country in which the head of government is also the head of the state religion.

Developed vs Developing

Before we get into the differences, we have to understand some key terms.

Developed vs Developing

Standard of Living: measures the quality of life based on available material goods.

Basically, how much stuff can you get if you wanted to?

Developed vs Developing

Industry: a business that produces goods or services.

Subsistence Farming: farming what you need for you and your family to survive.

Commercial Farming: growing food to sell.

Developed vs Developing

Gross Domestic Product: refers to all the annual production within a country.

Developed vs Developing

Industry Commercial Farming High Standard of

Living High GDP Quality Formal

Education Quality Health Care

Subsistence Farming

Low Standard of Living

Low GDP Little Formal

Education Little to no Health

Care

Developed vs Developing

Low Birth Rates Low Infant Mortality

Rate Many Luxuries Stable Governments Pollution from

industrial waste Low Population

Growth

High Birth Rates High Infant Mortality

Rate Few Luxuries Unstable Governments Pollution from too many

people High Population Growth