TYRANNY

Tyranny
- Derived from the Greek word “Tyrannos”, which means a cruel and oppressive
ruler or, in ancient Greece, a ruler who seized power unconstitutionally or inherited
such power.

- When a single ruler, organization, or authority exercises power in an oppressive

and arbitrary manner, it is said to be tyranny. In a tyrannical society, the ruler or
rulers frequently disregard the rights, liberties, and welfare of the people they rule,
and they may employ force or coercion to uphold their authority, crush opposition,
and control the people.

Example of Tyranny in History:

Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany (1 933-1945)
Adolf Hitler's leadership of Nazi Germany exhibited many characteristics of tyranny,
including absolute power, political oppression, totalitarian control, censorship,
persecution, and aggressive expansionism. His rule resulted in widespread suffering and
destruction, making him one of the most infamous tyrants in history.

These are countries that still have tyrannical government:

North Korea
Belarus
Cuba
Iran
Myanmar
Zimbabwe

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 OLIGARCHY

 Came from the Greek words:

 Oligon – “few”
 Arkho – “to rule” or “to command”
Oligarchy – “rule of the few”

OLIGARCHY is a form of government where:

Political leaders are selected from a small group within a society consisting of
influential people who exercise power for personal interests of their class.

HOW DOES OLIGARCHY WORKS?

It involves a conceptual form of power structure in which power rests with the
small group of people in a country known as:
 Elites: They are the richest, most powerful, best-educated group in a
society.
 Governing elites: They are the selected leaders who have the power to
make political decisions on behalf of their class rather than for the greater
good.
These people are called the Oligarchs.

Fig. 1: The Power Structure of an Oligarch Government

POWER

OLIGARCHS

ELITES GOVERNING ELITES

(A small group of powerful people (They are the rulers selected from
who dictate the political decisions the elite class who enforce political
of an official ruler) activities that will help in
maintaining their power)

NORMAL CITIZENS
(The majority group of a society who are
less-powerful, deprive of equal share of
privileges and opportunities)

COUNTRIES PRACTICING OLIGARCHY:

RUSSSIA - Russia is an oligarchy because it is dominated by Vladimir Putin's
associates, the majority of whom are powerful businessmen in Russia. This group is
able to exert influence on the government through Putin's direct support. The
oligarchs work to advance their own goals instead of the general public's goals.
U.S.A. - Americans enjoy many features of a democratic government, such as
elections and freedom of speech. However, there exists substantial evidence that
powerful corporations and affluent individuals have a significantly larger influence
on policymaking than ordinary citizens.
IRAN - Iran is considered both an oligarchy and a theocracy. The core of the elite
group that governs the country are religious leaders. Power is then shared with
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 their relatives and business partners. This is a fairly new development coming only
after the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who would not allow his family to gain
power. His replacement installed his family in government, and this core of elites
gave power to Iran's presidents, who much remain in their favor

ABSOLUTE MONARCHY

A form of government where one person, typically a king or queen, holds

absolute, autocratic power.
The ruler is called a monarch.
The succession of power is typically hereditary, with the throne passing among
members of a ruling family.
An absolute monarch’s power isn’t limited by a constitution or governing laws.
Under an absolute monarchy...
1) Common people are denied natural rights and enjoy only a few limited privileges
granted by the monarch.
2) The practice of or abstinence from any religion not endorsed by the monarch is
treated as a serious crime.
3) The people have no voice whatsoever in the government or the direction of the
country.
4) All laws are issued by the monarchs and typically serve only their best interest.
5) Any complaints or protests against the monarch are considered acts of treason.
Historical Significance: Louis XIV’s reign in France, where he famously declared,
“L’État, c’est moi” (“I am the state”). Other historical examples include the Ottoman
Empire and various dynasties in China.
COUNTRIES THAT PRACTICE ABSOLUTE MONARCHY:

Country Leader

Oman Sultan Qaboos bin Said

Al Said
Qatar Emir Tamim bin Hamad
bin Khalifa Al-Thain
Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al
Saud
Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah ibni
Omar Ali Saiffudien III
Vatican City Fernando Vérgez Alzaga

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 CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY

a system of government in which a country is ruled by a king and queen whose

power is limited by a constitution
a system of government in which a king or queen is head of state, but laws are
made and put into effect by a legislature, or a country that has this system of
government.
Crown and Constitution
Once upon a time, kings and queens ruled with absolute authority. They made the laws,
they enforced the laws, and they governed without question. Then the people started
revolting.

In English history (from where we get many of our modern political terms), the
monarch's power actually began to be restricted back in 1215, when a group of nobles
rebelled against the King and forced him to sign a document called the Magna Carta.
The Magna Carta was, in essence, the first version of a constitution in English history,
outlining the rights of the nobles that the king couldn't take away and giving real power
to a small legislative body known as Parliament. From this humble origin, the concept of
limited monarchical power spread. Monarchs across Europe lost more and more of their
actual power as ideas about democracy, popular sovereignty, and the rights of the
people took root and spread.

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 DEMOCRACY

WHAT IS DEMOCRACY?
The word democracy comes from the Greek words "demos", meaning people, and
"kratos" meaning power; so democracy can be thought of as "power of the people": a
way of governing which depends on the will of the people. Properly understood,
democracy should not even be "rule of the majority", if that means that minorities'
interests are ignored completely. A democracy, at least in theory, is government on
behalf of all the people, according to their "will".
-Democracy started in Athens.
-Modern Democracy has three branches:
Executive
Legislative
Judiciary
Judicial -Democracy has laws to protect the rights of the people.

LIST OF DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY

NORTH AMERICA SOUTH AMERICA

- Canada - Argentina
- Dominican Republic - Columbia
- Jamaica - Guyana
- Panama - Peru
- United States of America - Brazil
- Costa Rica - Ecuador
- El Salvador - Uruguay
- Mexico - Paraguay
- Trinidad and Tobago - Suriname
EUROPE ASIA
- Austria - Slovakia - Hong Kong
- Bulgaria - Ireland - Thailand
- United Kingdom - Latvia - Indonesia
- Cyprus - Romania - Taiwan
- Denmark - Luxembourg - Japan
- Spain - Netherlands - Mongolia
- France - Portugal - South Korea
- Greece - Serbia - Singapore
- Slovenia - Lithuania - Sri Lanka
- Switzerland - Italy - Philippines
- Poland - Hungary - India
- Malta - Czech - Timor-Leste (East Timor)
Republic - Malaysia

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 - Germany - Croatia - Israel
- Estonia - Belgium
AFRICA OCEANA
- Cape Verde - South Africa - Australia
- Mauritius - Ghana - Papua New Guinea
- Lesotho - Namibia
- Tunisia - Botswana

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

 a nation's system of designating power, whether to a central government or local

state government.
 a form of government that allows for more than one central entity to have power.
How does federalism work?
Federalism works when a certain states or region can rule or control its power,
program and fund. However, 80% of the overall paid tax of people. Will stay in the
federal state/region and the remaining 20% will go to the national government.
Why Federalism is important to one country?
It protects the liberty of the individual from arbitrary power;
It allows individuals to establish their interests to set policies suited for them.
Countries practicing a federal form of government
America
Canada
Australia
Brazil
India
Malaysia

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 PARLIAMENTARY GOVERNMENT

Definition
A parliamentary government is where the laws and primary decision of a country
are made by a governing body called known as the "parliamentary" - a group of
people elected by individually elected by the citizen of the said country.

A form of government in which the majority party in parliament constitutes

governmental power.

In parliamentary system, the people elect only parliamentary member and not
the prime minister.

The parliament elects the prime minister who serves as the executive branch
of government, or "the head of the government". A prime minister role is to serve
as the most senior member of the executive branch of the government.

II. Parts of a Parliamentary Government

In parliamentary system, the head of the state and the head of the government is
separate.

a. Head of the state - have little political power and largely perform ceremonial
function.

b. Head of the government (prime minister/ executive branch) - holds real political
power.

c. Parliament (legislative branch)

III. Types of Parliamentary System of Government

Parliamentary Monarchy Parliamentary Republic

King/Queen & Prime Minister Prime Minister & President

This is where the country still maintains a This is where a country has a largely
monarchy, but said monarchy serves only ceremonial head of state and is instead
as the ceremonial head. run by an elected head of government
who usually comes from legislative
( parliament )

IV. Countries
PARLIAMENTARY MONARCHY PARLIAMENTARY REPUBLIC

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 Japan India
Malaysia Germany
Thailand Hungary
Spain Iceland
Denmark Finland

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 PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT

In a presidential system, the head of the government leads an executive, that is distinct
from the legislature. Here, the head of the government and the head of the state are one
and the same. Also, a key feature is that the executive is not responsible to the
legislature.
Features of the Presidential System:
A. Separation of Powers - refers to the each other's actions. For example, the
division of government responsibilities legislature can pass laws, approve
into distinct branches to limit any one budgets, and scrutinize the executive
branch from exercising the core functions branch. The judiciary can review the
of another. Presidential systems typically constitutionality of laws and executive
have a clear separation of powers among actions.
the three branches of government. The B. Veto Powers - The executive
executive branch, led by the president, is (President) can veto acts by the
responsible for implementing and legislature.
enforcing laws. The legislative branch, C. Fixed Tenure - The President has a
consisting of a parliament or congress, is fixed tenure and cannot be removed by a
responsible for making laws. The judicial vote of no-confidence in the legislature.
branch is tasked with interpreting laws D. Offering Pardons - Generally, the
and ensuring their constitutionality. President has the power to pardon or
B. Checks and Balances - While there commute judicial sentences awarded to
is a separation of powers, presidential criminals.
systems often include checks and E. Directly Elected - The President is
balances to prevent the abuse of power. elected directly by the people or by an
The different branches of government electoral college.
have mechanisms to oversee and limit

Roles of the President:

Article VII, Section 1, of the 1987 Constitution vests executive power on the
President of the Philippines. The President is the Head of State and Head of
Government, and functions as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines. As chief executive, the President exercises control over all the executive
departments, bureaus, and offices.

Countries Practicing the Presidential System of Government:

the President of Mexico is both head of
Philippines - The Philippines is a unitary state and head of government.
presidential constitutional republic, with
the President of the Philippines acting as
both the head of state and the head of
government.

South Korea - The politics of South

Korea take place in the framework of a
presidential representative democratic
republic, whereby the president is the Argentina - The President of Argentina
head of state, and of a multi-party is both head of state and head of
system. To ensure a separation of government. Executive power is
powers, the Republic of Korea exercised by the President. Legislative
Government is made up of three power is vested in the National Congress.
branches: legislative, executive, and
judicial. Brazil - Brazil is a federal presidential
constitutional republic, based on
Mexico - The politics of Mexico function representative democracy. The federal
within a framework of a federal government has three independent
presidential representative democratic branches: executive, legislative, and
republic whose government is based on a judicial. Executive power is exercised by
multi-party congressional system, where

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the executive branch, headed by the
President, advised by a Cabinet.

These are just a few examples of

countries with presidential government
systems. Each country may have
variations in the specific powers and
structures of their presidential systems
based on their respective constitutions
and political contexts
TOTALITARIAN GOVERNMENT

 Totalitarian means’’ rule by the

 law’’ the people must obey the
 law created by the leader whilst the leader and law enforcement are not required
to obey. Human rights are ignored.
 It is often viewed as the opposites of DEMOCRACY
 It is a form of government and a political system that:
Prohibits all opposition parties
Outlaws’ individual opposition to the state and it’s claims
Exercise an extremely highly degree of control over public and private life
 It is regarded as the most extreme and complete form of authoritarianism
 A state in which the government controls all aspects of people's lives.
In Totalitarian states:
POLITICAL POWER- is often held by autocrats such as :
 Dictators and Absolute monarchs – who employ all-encompassing
campaigns in which propaganda is broadcast by state-controlled Mass
media in order to control citizenry
It is important to note that:
 The concept of’’ totalitarian’’
 Emerged in response to certain political developments in Europe in the inter-
war years especially the rise of Nazism and Stalinism also known as:
 ‘’ the state’’ – a TOTALITARIAN GOVERNMENT imposes as set of beliefs on
its people who must conform or face unpleasant, and often violent
consequences this is called OPPRESSION
 THE STATE holds absolute power to maintain control over all areas in the
lives of its citizen
 THE LAW does not apply to the state and they ignore basic human rights
Below are some of the basic characteristics of a totalitarian:
1. Individual freedoms or ownership of personal property is restricted or not
permitted in any way.
2. Personal beliefs and faith in religion other than the ideals of the sate is met with
severe consequences
3. * Information or any form of media from outside the state is not permitted.
* The state only releases information that promotes its own point of view or
political cause.
* Citizens are denied access to any information that can cause a revolt.

4. * All legal traditions are discarded as the role of lawmaker is taken by the ruler.
*Police operate under the state’s law.
*Decisions and judgements are passed according to the interpretations of the
ruler.
* Fair and justice is denied.
5. Opposition to the states is punishable and considered evil.
6.*Limiting or withholding the supply of food to its citizen.

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 * The fear of starvation is a powerful strategy that reinforces the reliance of the
people on the ruler for all their needs, therefore developing loyalty towards the
ideals of the state.
7.*Social gathering and traditions are banned.
*The state controls who people can visit and for what reason.

 Totalitarian countries are often also classified as dictatorship countries

because they are ruled by a government, headed by either a single
dictator or a group of people, that was not chosen by the people in free
and fair elections. They are also considered fascist countries in most
cases.

Totalitarian Governments that Still Exist:

North Korea: North Korea is often cited as one of the most closed and totalitarian
states in the world. The country is ruled by the Kim dynasty, with an extensive cult
of personality surrounding its leaders. The government exercises strict control over
all aspects of life, including media, education, and the economy.
China: China is ruled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which maintains
tight control over political, economic, and social spheres. The government heavily
censors the internet and restricts freedom of expression. The CCP's dominance is
characterized by one-party rule and extensive surveillance.
Russia: Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, Russia has exhibited increasingly
authoritarian tendencies. Opposition movements and independent media face
significant challenges, and critics argue that the government has eroded
democratic institutions.
Iran: Iran is an Islamic Republic with supreme clerical leadership. While it has
elements of both democracy and theocratic rule, there are significant limitations
on political freedoms and civil liberties.
Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy with limited political
freedoms. The royal family holds significant power, and there are restrictions on
freedom of expression and association.
Cuba: Cuba has been ruled by the Communist Party for decades, with limited
political pluralism and restrictions on civil liberties. However, there have been
recent changes in leadership and diplomatic relations with other countries.
Turkmenistan: Turkmenistan is known for its authoritarian government, where
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov holds extensive power, and dissent is
suppressed.

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 AUTHORITARIAN GOVERNMENT

An authoritarian government is one that imposes strict rules that limits the
freedom of its people. Citizens of countries that have an authoritarian government
have diminished rights and priviledges, and are typically unable to freely worship,
fully express themselves, or choose their leaders through free and fair elections.
Authoritarianism exists as the oldest government type.
Control the spread of information either by infiltrating mass media, suppressing
the spread of information, or controlling different narratives that support their
agendas.
Make laws and policies without seeking the opinion or consent of their people.

Countries that have Authoritarian Governments

Afghanistan
Azerbaijan
Burundi
Central Africa Republic
Chad
Iran
Iraq
Laos
North Korea
Saudi Arabia
Sudan
Syria
United Arab Emirates

As Frederick the Great stated :

" I have an agreement with my people: they can say what they like and I can do what I
like”

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