Congress for Kids: [Independence]: Democracy vs. Autocracy

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

Join Our Mailing List!

Receive information about any changes to Congress for Kids and the other seven sites in The Dirksen Center's Web suite!

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

I Have/Who Has Vocabulary Practice
http://www.cyberlearning-world.com/lessons/i_have.htm
Group activity - Cut the terms and definitions into strips and distribute them among players or small groups of players. One player begins with "who has..." while the others listen for the definition that is on their strip. The person with the correct definition raises his or her hand and says "I have..." with the correct term. Round One can be done with player notes available and no time limit. Even after the players have completed the list, have them practice it so it's completed within a certain time. Or use a stop watch to time the round. Set a record!

Mini Lesson on Forming a Government
http://www.col-ed.org/cur/sst/sst34.txt
Lesson Plan - Forces you to think about the basic questions of government. Why do we need government, what should it do, and what form should it take?

Return to Tour

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.

Awards