CBSE Class 7 · Social Science · Chapter 9

From the Rulers to the Ruled: Types of Governments

Governance and Democracy — complete NCERT notes with diagrams, 3-mark questions and fill-in-the-blanks

📖 Exploring Society: India and Beyond 🏛️ Governance & Democracy ✍️ 9 Three-Mark Questions 📝 30 Fill in the Blanks

A ruler’s duties inside the country are three-fold — rakṣha, protecting the state from outside attack; pālana, keeping law and order within it; and yogakṣhema, safeguarding the welfare of the people. — the teaching of Kauṭilya in the Arthaśhāstra

The Big Questions

What are the different types of government?
Where do governments get their power from?
How does a country’s government interact with the people?
Why does democracy matter?

Part 1 of 3 — Government, Democracy and Its Functions

🧠 Mind Map — Part 1 at a glance

What is Government?
- Seven main roles — law and order, security, foreign relations, defence, services, economy, welfare
What is Democracy?
- ‘Rule of the people’
- The people are the source of power and authority
The school example
- Three options for forming a Student Committee
- Only voting for representatives is democratic
Functions and differences
- Legislative · Executive · Judicial
- Four key differences between governments

What is Government? What are its Functions?

In Grade 6 we learned what government is and explored some of its roles.
The government plays an important role in our lives. This role includes:

⚖️ Order and safety

Maintaining law and order in society
Ensuring peace, stability and security for the people

🌐 Outside the country

Managing relationships with other countries
Taking care of national defence

🏥 Services and economy

Delivering essential goods and services — education, healthcare, infrastructure
Managing the economy and economic activities

🤝 Welfare

Working for the welfare of people and improving their lives

A ruler’s three duties — Kauṭilya

Rakṣha — protection of the state from external aggression
Pālana — maintenance of law and order within the state
Yogakṣhema — safeguarding the welfare of the people

Notice how closely these three ancient duties match the modern list of government roles above.

In Grade 6 we learned that India has a democratic form of government.
Like India, many countries have a democratic government — but some countries have other forms.
Even all democratic governments are not exactly the same.

What is Democracy?

As studied in Grade 6, ‘democracy’ is best understood as ‘rule of the people’.
This means the source of power and authority in a democracy is the people of the country.

A school example

A school is full of activities and things that must be done. Many day-to-day tasks need managing:
- Timetables to be made and followed
- Sports activities to be organised
- Food served at lunch time — the mid-day-meal
- Utensils to be cleaned
- Speakers decided for the morning assembly
- Activities arranged for ‘No Bag Days‘
With so much to be done, the Head Teacher realised a Student Committee should be appointed so that students can:
- Be part of making the rules
- Help in the implementation of the rules
- Ensure the rules are being followed
The question before her was — who will be part of the committee?
She discussed it in the assembly. The students got excited and started arguing:
- Naghma — students in Grade 12 are the most senior, so they should take care of everything
- Shobha — but Grade 12 will finish school in a few months, so Grade 11 should do it
- Gurpreet — if only one grade takes care of everything, how will they know the problems other grades face?

The three options the students reached

Option 1 — Everyone Everyone in the school becomes part of the committee and takes responsibility.

➜

Option 2 — Head Teacher decides The Head Teacher chooses the students herself for the committee.

➜

Option 3 — Voting The students choose their representatives through voting, and the chosen representatives become the members of the committee.

REPRESENTATIVE

A person who is chosen to act or make decisions on behalf of another person or group of people.

Option	What is wrong / right with it
1. Everyone joins	May seem appealing, but if every student is on the committee it becomes difficult to reach decisions and manage implementation effectively.
2. Head Teacher selects	Many students will not have a role and won’t have a way to ensure their voices are heard about what they need and want.
3. Students elect	Each grade chooses one representative who will effectively advocate for their class’s needs. The committee then has representatives from every grade. This is the democratic way.

Think About It

The school example helps us understand the concept of representation and how it works.
But the students’ committee is different from Parliamentary and Legislative committees.
Class representatives in a school are quite different from Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).

Functions of Government

A government works much like the student committee — it must create rules, implement them, and ensure everyone follows them.
These three responsibilities are known as the functions of government.

📜 Legislative function

The creation of rules
These rules serve as the framework for running the country

🏛️ Executive function

The implementation of these rules
The administration of the country according to them

⚖️ Judicial function

Ensuring that the rules are followed

Democracy is defined as the ‘rule of the people’.
Just like the third method in the school, in a democracy the people select their representatives to govern them.
However, not every country uses the same method for choosing these representatives.

Do You Know?

Abraham Lincoln, a U.S. president in the late 19th century, described democracy as a ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people’ — a phrase still widely used today.
An 1896 mural by the painter Vedder, called ‘Government’, hangs in the Library of Congress, USA.

MURAL

A large painting or artwork created directly on a wall or a ceiling.

What Makes Governments Different?

The government of any country evolves over time.
Since countries have their own history, culture and aspirations, it is natural that governments of different countries are different.

Key differences between governments

Who gets to decide that ‘this is the government’? This is the most basic difference across many types of government. Who or what gives the government its authority and power? In a democracy like India, the people of the country decide and are the source of authority. In a theocracy, the source of authority is religious beliefs and the head of a religious institution.

How is the government formed? In a democracy, a government is usually formed through some kind of election. In kingdoms with kings or queens, usually someone from within the family continues to rule and decides how the government will be set up. There are other ways of forming a government, and even in democracies there can be different kinds of elections.

What are the different parts of the government and what do they do? Any government has many parts and systems, and these vary across types. The three functions — legislative, executive and judiciary — can be performed by totally independent bodies or by the same body. The system deciding how the government will work can be written down in a book of fundamental rules called the constitution — which is what happens in most democracies. Or it can be decided by the king or queen, as in monarchies, the governments of kings or queens.

What is the government working for? What goals is it trying to achieve? Governments are designed to work towards certain values and ideals. Some, like the government of India, are designed to work towards equality and prosperity for all. Some other governments may be designed only for the prosperity of some families or groups.

Forms of government differ on these four major aspects — but there could be other kinds of differences too.

✍️ Part 1 — Three-Mark Questions

1 Explain the three functions of government.3 marks

SHOW ANSWER

Legislative function — the creation of rules, which serve as the framework for running the country.
Executive function — the implementation of these rules and the administration of the country according to them.
Judicial function — ensuring that the rules are followed.

2 In the school story, why was electing representatives the best of the three options?3 marks

SHOW ANSWER

If everyone joins the committee, it becomes difficult to reach decisions and manage implementation.
If the Head Teacher chooses, many students have no role and no way to be heard.
By voting, each grade picks a representative who advocates for that class’s needs, so every grade is represented — the democratic way.

3 State any three key differences that make one form of government different from another.3 marks

SHOW ANSWER

Who decides ‘this is the government’ — in a democracy the people are the source of authority; in a theocracy it is religious beliefs and a religious head.
How the government is formed — by election in a democracy, by family succession in a kingdom.
What its parts do — legislative, executive and judiciary may be independent bodies or the same body; the rules may be in a constitution or decided by a monarch.
What it works for — some aim at equality and prosperity for all, others only at the prosperity of a few families or groups.

📝 Part 1 — Fill in the Blanks

Democracy is best understood as the of the people.
The creation of rules is called the function.
The implementation of rules and the administration of the country is the function.
Ensuring that the rules are followed is the function.
A person chosen to act or make decisions on behalf of a group of people is called a .
In a democracy like India, the source of authority is the .
In a , the source of authority is religious beliefs and the head of a religious institution.
The book of fundamental rules of a country is called the .
Governments of kings or queens are called .
described democracy as a ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people’.

SHOW ANSWERS

rule
legislative
executive
judicial
representative
people of the country
theocracy
constitution
monarchies
Abraham Lincoln

Part 2 of 3 — Democracies of the World & Early Republics

🧠 Mind Map — Part 2 at a glance

Fundamental principles of democracy
- Equality · Freedom · Representative participation
- Universal adult franchise · Fundamental rights · Independent judiciary
Forms of democratic government
- Direct — everyone decides everything
- Representative — people elect representatives
- Representative splits into Parliamentary and Presidential
Key terms
- Executive · Legislature · Upper and Lower House
- Separation of Power
A Peek into History
- Vajji mahājanapada and the Lichchhavi clan
- Uttaramerur inscriptions of the Cholas
- Republics in Rome and Greece

Democratic Governments around the World

Democracy is the most popular form of government in the modern world.
There are different kinds of democratic governments — but all share some fundamental principles.

Fundamental principles of democracy

⚖️ Equality

Every person has the right to be treated equally
Everyone should have equal access to facilities like education and health
Everyone is equal before the law

🕊️ Freedom

Citizens have the right to make their own choices
And to express their opinions

🗳️ Representative participation

Every person has a right to choose and elect their representatives
Done through the process of elections
Elected representatives become part of the legislature

✋ Universal adult franchise

Grants every citizen (above a certain age) the right to vote to choose their representative

📋 Fundamental rights

Right to equality
Right to freedom of speech and expression
Right against exploitation
All provided and protected in a democracy

👨‍⚖️ Independent judiciary

Ensures every citizen’s fundamental rights are protected
Ensures laws are followed by citizens and by all parts of the government

These principles have evolved over time:
- India provided universal adult franchise — the right to vote for all adults — from the very beginning of the Indian republic in 1950
- In Switzerland, women got the right to vote only in 1971
These principles are ideals — not all democracies are able to put them into practice.
But it is important for citizens to keep these ideals in front of them.

Different forms of democratic governments

1. Direct democracy All the citizens are directly responsible for all the rules, regulations and functions. They participate in all decisions directly.

➜

2. Representative democracy People elect their representatives through universal adult franchise. People do not directly govern, but the government is always accountable to them.

Direct democracy — some kinds of this form are followed in a few countries, like Switzerland.
- Limitation: very hard to carry out in practice, particularly in larger countries — just as in the school story, if everyone joins the committee, decision-making becomes difficult.
Representative democracy — just like in India.
- Elections are an integral part, through which people can express changes in their choices
- Elections happen at regular and fixed intervals of time
- India — general elections every five years
- United States of America — every four years

ACCOUNTABILITY

Accountability in democracy means that the government is answerable to the people who have elected them.

Don’t Miss Out

Democracies have evolved over time, and so have their characteristics.
Even today there are many differences in how these democracies function.
When countries first adopted democracy, they may not have had all the principles we understand today.
Effective Universal Adult Suffrage came to the UK in 1928, and to the USA by 1965.

Fig. D12 — Drawn to scale along the year axis. Notice how close India (1947) and Germany (1949) sit, and how recent Nepal (2008) is.

Two forms of representative democracy

Most of the democracies today are representative democracies — but every democracy functions differently.

Point of difference	a. Parliamentary democracy	b. Presidential democracy
Link between executive and legislature	Members of the executive are also part of the legislature	The executive works independently of the legislature
Who heads the executive	In India, the prime minister and the council of ministers — who are also members of parliament	The president, who is elected by the people
Need for confidence of the legislature	The council of ministers continues only while it has the confidence of the legislature — in India, of the Lok Sabha	The president does not need the confidence of the legislature for his or her position
What people elect	People elect the legislature but not the executive; selected members of the legislature become ministers	People elect the president directly

Fig. D11 — India is a parliamentary democracy; the USA is a presidential democracy.

In some countries like India, states such as Rajasthan or Kerala have their own governments — but they are not completely independent.
They are still governed by a larger national government, the Union Government of India.

What do these terms mean?

EXECUTIVE

The organ of the government which is responsible for implementing the law. The process of its election is different in different countries.

LEGISLATURE

The body of the government responsible for making laws. It is known by different names: in India it is called Parliament; in the USA it is called Congress. In most democracies it has two houses — the Upper House and the Lower House.

UPPER HOUSE AND LOWER HOUSE

In most countries the Lower House is elected by direct voting and is generally more powerful than the Upper House, which is formed either by election or nomination. In India, the Lower House is called the Lok Sabha and the Upper House is called the Rajya Sabha.

SEPARATION OF POWER

The three organs of the government — Legislature, Executive and Judiciary — work independently and do not interfere in each other’s functions.

Institution	Executive	Legislature	Judiciary
India	Prime minister and the council of ministers	Lower House (Lok Sabha) is more powerful than Upper House (Rajya Sabha)	Independent from executive and legislature (separation of power)
USA	President	Equal power between Upper House (Senate) and Lower House (House of Representatives)	Independent from executive and legislature (separation of power)
South Korea	President	Single house (National Assembly)	Independent from executive and legislature (separation of power)
Australia	Prime minister and the council of ministers	Equal power between Upper House (Senate) and Lower House (House of Representatives)	Independent from executive and legislature (separation of power)

Fig. D10 — Different forms of democratic government. India and Australia are parliamentary; USA and South Korea are presidential.

Different forms of democratic government have different ways of formation, structures and functioning.
The relationships between the three organs also differ.
But some characteristics — equality, freedom and universal adult franchise — remain the same in all democracies.

A Peek into History

Early republics

REPUBLIC

A form of government in which the head of state is elected and is not a hereditary monarch.

🏛️ The Vajji mahājanapada

At least two of India’s ancient mahājanapadas were republics
In the Vajji (or Vṛiji) mahājanapada, the Lichchhavi clan practised collective decision-making
Leaders were chosen on merit rather than birth
Key positions were filled through elections
Representatives from various clans met regularly to address issues and ensure the people’s welfare
Such states have been called early republics

📜 The Uttaramerur inscriptions

From the Chola period, 10th century CE, in Tamil Nadu
Found on the walls of the Vaikuntha Perumal temple, Uttaramerur
They record the election of members to the village sabhā — the local administrative body
They describe sealed ballot boxes, the qualifications of members, their duties, and the conditions that could lead to dismissal
Members were immediately removed if found to have indulged in any corruption

The voice of the common people has been valued and upheld in India through the ages — even when power was in the hands of a king or queen.
There were republics in other parts of the world too:
- In the 5th and 4th centuries BCE, Rome and Greece had republics
- In some regions of Greece, free men could vote — but women, workers and slaves could not
- Other areas had a system where only a small, privileged group could vote or make decisions

SLAVE

A person who is forced to work for and obey another, and is considered to be their property.

✍️ Part 2 — Three-Mark Questions

1 Explain any three fundamental principles of democracy.3 marks

SHOW ANSWER

Equality — every person has the right to be treated equally, with equal access to education and health, and equal before the law.
Freedom — citizens can make their own choices and express their opinions.
Universal adult franchise — every citizen above a certain age gets the right to vote.
Independent judiciary — protects fundamental rights and ensures laws are followed by citizens and by all parts of the government.

2 How is a parliamentary democracy different from a presidential democracy?3 marks

SHOW ANSWER

In a parliamentary democracy the executive is also part of the legislature; in a presidential democracy the executive works independently of it.
India’s prime minister and council of ministers are members of parliament; a president is elected directly by the people.
The council of ministers must keep the confidence of the Lok Sabha; a president does not need the legislature’s confidence.
In a parliamentary system people elect the legislature but not the executive.

3 What do the Uttaramerur inscriptions tell us about elections in the Chola period?3 marks

SHOW ANSWER

They date from the 10th century CE and are found in Tamil Nadu, on the walls of the Vaikuntha Perumal temple.
They record the election of members to the village sabhā, the local administrative body.
They describe sealed ballot boxes, the qualifications of members and their duties.
They also list conditions for dismissal — members were removed at once if found guilty of corruption.
This shows the voice of common people was valued in India even under kings.

📝 Part 2 — Fill in the Blanks

is the most popular form of government in the modern world.
grants every citizen above a certain age the right to vote.
India provided universal adult franchise from the beginning of the Indian republic in .
In Switzerland, women got the right to vote only in .
In a democracy, all citizens participate in all the decisions directly.
means that the government is answerable to the people who have elected them.
In India, general elections are held every years.
In India the legislature is called Parliament; in the USA it is called .
In India the Lower House is called the .
A form of government in which the head of state is elected and is not a hereditary monarch is called a .

SHOW ANSWERS

Democracy
Universal adult franchise
1950
1971
direct
Accountability
five
Congress
Lok Sabha
republic

Part 3 of 3 — Other Forms of Government & Why Democracy Matters

🧠 Mind Map — Part 3 at a glance

Monarchy
- Ruled by a monarch, usually hereditary
- Indian kings bound by rājadharma
- Absolute (Saudi Arabia) vs Constitutional (Britain)
Theocracy
- Ruled by religion and religious leaders
- Iran · Afghanistan · Vatican City
Dictatorship
- One person or small group with absolute power
- Hitler in Germany · Idi Amin in Uganda
Oligarchy & Why Democracy Matters
- Rule by a small, powerful group
- Democracy protects rights — but has hurdles too

Other Forms of Government

Democracy is the most popular form of government in today’s world, and it has different forms.
Let us now look at other forms of government and their basic structures.

1. Monarchy

Mahājanapadas were headed by kings, who were guided by the sabhā or samiti and were expected to take the decisions and advice of these institutions seriously.
As empires were built and expanded across India, kings began to gain immense power. Yet they relied on:
- A council of ministers
- A network of officials to help govern the empire
- In many cases, the advice of learnt scholars on matters related to dharma
There were also examples of kings who used their power to subjugate their people.
In some parts of the world, kings had all the power — they made the laws, enforced them, and decided the punishments. In some cases they claimed to have received divine power from God.
However, in many parts of India the power of the raja was neither absolute nor beyond question.
- The king was expected to decide within the limits of rājadharma
- This meant ruling according to dharma and ensuring the welfare of all people
- This was an ideal that kings did not necessarily achieve

SUBJUGATE

To take control of people or a place by using force and make the people obey.

Think About It

What might happen if the king considered himself to have divine powers? How would he rule over the people?

Don’t Miss Out — Bhīṣhma’s teaching

In the Shānti Parva of the Mahābhārata, Bhīṣhma, the wise elder of the Kuru dynasty, lies on a bed of arrows awaiting death.
He teaches Yudhiṣṭhira, the eldest Pāṇḍava, at great length on good governance, justice and the moral responsibilities of a raja:
- A raja is not just a ruler — the welfare of his people is his highest priority
- He must apply the law without bias, to ensure fairness and equality
- He must not get attached to power, as it fosters ego and corruption
- He must seek guidance from wise advisors for just and well-informed decisions
- He must understand that his authority is temporary and bound by dharma

Source — the Rājataraṅgiṇī of Kalhaṇa (12th century CE)

King Chandrāpīḍa wanted to build a temple to his deity, but the hut of a stubborn cobbler stood in the way.
When the builders complained that the cobbler would not even let them take measurements, the king blamed the builders — for not asking the cobbler’s permission first.
The cobbler explained that his humble hut was like a mother to him, and as precious to him as the palace was to the king.
He said the misery of people whose homes are forcibly taken away could be described only by a god fallen from the heavens, or by a king who had lost his kingdom.
He agreed to give up the hut if the king would come and respectfully ask his permission — which the king did, giving him adequate money as compensation.
The text concludes that for those who desire happiness there should be no false pride, and the cobbler praised the king’s commitment to dharma even towards a lowly subject.

2. Monarchies today

A monarchy is the type of government that is ruled by a monarch.
Kings and queens are called monarchs, who exercise their sovereign power.
Monarchies are usually hereditary — typically the eldest son of the ruling monarch becomes the next king.

SOVEREIGN

Sovereign indicates that the source of power of a country is independent from external influence.

MONARCHS

Kings or queens who inherit their position from their family, usually passing it from one generation to the next within the royal family.

Point	a. Absolute monarchy	b. Constitutional monarchy
Power of the monarch	Complete control — makes the laws, ensures they are followed, and adjudicates when they are not	Only nominal power as head of state
Who holds real executive power	The monarch himself	The prime minister and the Council of Ministers
Who makes the laws	The monarch	The elected parliament
Example	Saudi Arabia — the king holds all power and governs according to Islamic law. He appoints a council that advises and assists him, but he is not bound by its advice	United Kingdom (Britain) — so while Britain has a king, today it really is a parliamentary democracy

Fig. D15 — The two types of monarchy that exist today.

ADJUDICATING

Judging a case when there is a dispute.

2. Theocracy

A theocracy is a form of government where the country is ruled by the rules of religion and religious leaders.
Iran, whose full official name is the ‘Islamic Republic of Iran‘, has a unique political system combining elements of both theocratic and democratic governance:
- Its constitution is based on the fundamental principles of Islam, the country’s official religion
- The Supreme Leader has ultimate authority over the legislature, executive and judiciary
- He is selected by a group of Islamic clerics, and his term is for life
- There are also an elected president and a parliament that take care of everyday governance
- The intent of the republic is to establish a society based on Islamic norms
Other theocracies currently in existence include Afghanistan and Vatican City.

3. Dictatorship

A dictatorship is a form of government in which one person, or a small group, possesses absolute power.
They do not have any limits imposed on them by a constitution or law.
The 20th century witnessed many examples of dictators who created extremely difficult circumstances for the people.

Adolf Hitler — Germany

Appointed Chancellor of Germany in 1933
Passed laws that gave him full power and eliminated the opposition — he was now a dictator
Convinced of the superiority of his people, he believed Germany should rule the world and dominate ‘inferior races’
Responsible for the killing of at least six million Jews — known as the ‘Holocaust’ — as well as hundreds of thousands of Roma and other groups
He was the cause of World War II, 1939–1945, which brought immense loss of life and property in many countries

Idi Amin — Uganda

A military dictator in Uganda
Directly responsible for the merciless killing of thousands of people
Many Indians whose ancestors had migrated to Uganda a few generations before were forced to flee the country

CARICATURE

A drawing that makes someone look funny or foolish because some part of the person’s appearance is exaggerated.

Don’t Miss Out — the Roma

The Roma, or Romani people, were originally nomads.
Based on their linguistic and cultural characteristics, scholars have determined that they originated in India.
They first settled in parts of eastern Europe but have now migrated to several countries of the world.

Story of Shane

Life under a dictatorship

Shane lives in North Korea, which has a set of defined rules for his everyday living.
He is serving in compulsory military service — expected to serve till the time the government decides.
There are rules about how his hair should be cut and the clothes he should wear.
He cannot access the global internet, so he is unaware of the world outside his own country.
The government watches his every action closely, and he is expected to report anyone who tries breaking any of the defined rules.
Asked by a tourist why everyone there has the same haircut, Shane replied that they would all like to explore new styles — but the government decides how they keep their hair.

4. Oligarchy

The word ‘oligarchy‘ is of Greek origin:
- olígos means a few
- árkhō means to rule or command
It is a type of government where a small, powerful group makes all the important decisions — usually wealthy families or influential people.
In some places in ancient Greece, aristocratic families ruled as oligarchies.
In modern times, political commentators have observed that even some democracies show signs of oligarchy — when a small group of politicians and wealthy businesspeople hold too much influence in governance.

POLITICAL COMMENTATORS

People who analyse and share their opinions about political events.

Why Democracy Matters

These different types of governments show that democracy is not the only way countries are governed.
But in most countries, democracy is considered to be a better form of government than the others.

Characteristics	Democracy	Dictatorship	Absolute Monarchy	Oligarchy
Universal Adult Franchise	Yes	No	No	No
Equality amongst citizens	Yes	No	No	No
Freedom of speech	Yes	No	No	No
Separation of powers	Yes	No	No	No
Wellbeing and Prosperity of all citizens	Yes	No	No	No

Fig. D16 — Characteristics of different forms of government. Only democracy answers ‘Yes’ across every row — that single column is the whole argument for democracy.

In a genuine democracy, people can lead their everyday lives the way they want. They can choose:
- What to speak
- What to wear
- What beliefs to follow
- How to express themselves
All of this is allowed until and unless it harms someone else’s rights.
In a democratic government the people choose their government:
- The government is accountable for protecting the rights of its people
- It is responsible for providing basic needs to its citizens
- If it does not perform properly, people can change their representatives through elections
- This ensures a constant check on what the government does
The values and ideals of a democratic government should focus on the well-being of all its people.
More than half of the countries in the world have adopted democracy and democratic forms of government.

But democracies have problems too

Corruption
Wealth disparity
Excessive control by a few over democratic institutions
Erosion of the judiciary’s independence
Manipulation of information channels
These and several more can cause hurdles in achieving the ideals of democracy — so citizens must remain vigilant.

Before we move on …

Government plays an important role in running a country. Different types of governments answer four questions differently: who decides ‘this is the government’; what are its parts and what do they do; who or what is it working for; what values and ideals should it follow.
The most popular form of government in the world today is democracy. Democratic governments vary, including direct democracy and representative democracy.
There are two types of representative democracy — presidential and parliamentary. India is a parliamentary democracy.
Other types of government include monarchy, theocracy, dictatorship and oligarchy.
Democracy matters, but there are serious challenges to democracy that citizens need to remain vigilant about.

✍️ Part 3 — Three-Mark Questions

1 Distinguish between an absolute monarchy and a constitutional monarchy.3 marks

SHOW ANSWER

In an absolute monarchy the monarch has complete control — making laws, ensuring they are followed, and adjudicating disputes.
In a constitutional monarchy the king or queen has only nominal power; the real executive power rests with the prime minister and laws are made by the elected parliament.
Example of absolute monarchy — Saudi Arabia, where the king appoints an advisory council but is not bound by its advice.
Example of constitutional monarchy — Britain, which despite having a king is today a parliamentary democracy.

2 What is an oligarchy? How can even a democracy show signs of oligarchy?3 marks

SHOW ANSWER

The word comes from Greek — olígos meaning a few and árkhō meaning to rule or command.
It is a government where a small, powerful group makes all important decisions — usually wealthy families or influential people.
In ancient Greece, aristocratic families ruled as oligarchies in some places.
Political commentators note that a democracy shows signs of oligarchy when a small group of politicians and wealthy businesspeople hold too much influence in governance.

3 Give three reasons why democracy is considered a better form of government than the others.3 marks

SHOW ANSWER

Only democracy provides universal adult franchise, equality, freedom of speech and separation of powers — a dictatorship, absolute monarchy and oligarchy provide none of these.
People can lead their lives as they wish — choosing what to speak, wear, believe and how to express themselves — so long as it does not harm someone else’s rights.
The government is accountable for protecting rights and providing basic needs; if it fails, people can change their representatives through elections, giving a constant check on power.
Its values and ideals focus on the well-being of all its people — which is why more than half the countries of the world have adopted it.

📝 Part 3 — Fill in the Blanks

A form of government where the country is ruled by the rules of religion and religious leaders is called a .
The full official name of Iran is the .
Besides Afghanistan, another theocracy in existence today is .
In an monarchy the monarch has complete control over making laws, ensuring they are followed and adjudicating disputes.
is an example of an absolute monarchy.
In a monarchy the king or queen has only nominal power.
Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany in .
was a military dictator in Uganda.
The Greek word olígos means .
Indian kings were expected to rule within the limits of , meaning ruling according to dharma and ensuring the welfare of all people.

SHOW ANSWERS

theocracy
Islamic Republic of Iran
Vatican City
absolute
Saudi Arabia
constitutional
1933
Idi Amin
a few
rājadharma