Types of Government
By: Joaquin Alcaraz
There are many different types of government and they have been used at different times ranging from the early times of the Greek and Roman Empires to the very present day. Each country may differ in terms their structure of government, but they all have the same purpose, which is to be the voice of the people and to maintain peace, order and freedom.
There are many different types of government and they have been used at different times ranging from the early times of the Greek and Roman Empires to the very present day. Each country may differ in terms their structure of government, but they all have the same purpose, which is to be the voice of the people and to maintain peace, order and freedom.
Monarchy: From the ancient times until the early part of the 20th century, Monarchy was the most common type of government. It had 3 different stages; the absolute monarch, the limited monarchy and lastly, the constitutional monarchy.
a. Absolute monarchy is when the monarch, who is the king or queen, is not hindered at all, whatsoever, and there are no laws or legal opposition against them.
b. Limited monarchy is when the Kings depend on the richest members of the nobility to retain their thrones.
c. Constitutional monarchy is when the Monarchs are more of symbols rather than rulers and leaders of their own country.
-Constitutional: when the government works under a document, also known as the constitution, and most of their actions are determined by the laws.
- Presidential: a form of government wherein the legislative and judiciary branches are separate from each other.
-Democratic: This form of government consists of the 3 branches; Executive, legislative and Judiciary and under these branches consist the Senate and House of Representatives.
-Parliamentary: The legislature nominates the cabinet and the president or the prime minister to their positions. They have a lot of power and could dissolve the executive branch(prime minister and the cabinet members) at will with a "no confidence vote".
Politics: activities that relate to influencing the actions and polices of a government
-the exercise of power
One thing most of us don't know is that we could exercise power on others and power could be exercised on us. We are unaware of it most of the time but it is a big part of our everyday lives. A big misconception is that only the government has power, but then in reality, everyone has a role to play in the exercising of it. A social norm by itself is a form of power and is a way of controlling others.
there are 6 sources of power :
1. Physical force- for example; coup d'etat
2. Wealth -for example; pork barrel
3. State action -for example; (through govt. and law)
4. Social norms -for example; family tradition
5. Idea -for example; nanotechnology
6. Numbers -for example; EDSA revolution
Essence in UCSP
Politics and knowledge on power are very important in understanding UCSP because it helps us be more careful and aware about the things that happen around us. We get to know how power could be used against and for us and it helps us voice out our opinion as citizens of a certain country. Politics by itself helps us get to know how the system in our country works and how the government functions. Being aware of the things that happen around us could help us a lot in protecting ourselves.
Insight Including a Personal Observation Relating to the Topic:
Nowadays, it is very obvious that power is often misused. Whether by the government or by the rich, power may be a form of temptation and the people who posses this power end up giving in into using it the wrong way. In the Philippines alone, we could see that the government performs acts of corruption through scams and bribes. It is already embedded in our culture that people tend to turn a blind eye when they suspect or witness someone committing these acts of corruption. I believe that we should change this and use the power of the people (which is in numbers) to bring those who are guilty to justice and stop corruption or any misuse of power once and for all.
References:
Government:
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