Congress for Kids: [Independence]: Word Spy

Independence

Introduction Democracy Democracy vs. Autocracy The Original Thirteen Colonies The Declaration of Independence, Part I The Declaration of Independence, Part II The Articles of Confederation

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If a country is not a democracy then what is it?

Which system of government works best, a democracy or autocracy, and which system has fared the worst?

What are the strengths and weaknesses of each type of government - democracy and autocracy?

Does a government have to be fair to be effective? Can an unfair form of government be acceptable for its citizens if it has strong, intelligent, and compassionate leadership?

Would you rather be prosperous under a restrictive government or poor under a government that allows a high level of personal liberty?

WebQuest - Forms of Government

Democracy vs. Autocracy

Uncle Sam, the word spy, wants you to take a minute and test your knowledge.

Match the word(s) in the left-hand column to complete the questions or statements in the right-hand column. Check your answers.

Oligarchies	A. A type of government that is led by a dictator.
representative	B.The United States has a ______ democracy.
An autocracy	C. Another name for our type of democracy.
neither the Constitution nor the Declaration of Independence	D. A government ruled by small groups of powerful people.
republic	E. The word "democracy" appears in __________.

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Autocracy is a form of government in which the political power is held by a single self-appointed ruler who holds all the political power. In a democracy, the extreme control is held by the people under a free electoral method.

Projects You Can Do

See how many different forms of government you can name. Think about why there are different forms of government.

Define the following terms and think about their characteristics: direct democracy, representative democracy, republic, monarchy, oligarchy, and autocracy.

Divide a group of your friends into six groups. Assign each group one of the terms listed above. Instruct each group to find at least one example of the form of government they have been assigned and to research how well this government worked, why it failed or succeeded, and what its primary characteristics and achievements were. After the research is finished, present your findings to everyone.

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