Voting

Monday, September 1, 2008

Today's conversation

I walk with some great-minded ladies in the mornings. I love having stimulating conversations that make me think about stuff besides all things medical. Makes me wish I was in school again. Anyway, this morning we bantered a little about the different types of governments. I thought about this afterwards and looked up fascism, socialism, and communism on the Internet. Kids these days have NO IDEA how easy they've got it-just look it up on the Internet! Never have to leave home and head to the library to find something out. OK- I digress. Now I sound like my parents...
I wanted to refresh my memory on all of these terms we use lightly now to describe someone who may not have the same political views we do! Fascists can go both ways. They are anti liberal and anti-conservative. I read a lot about Marxism and all the spin offs and, it got pretty deep. Then I found this website that just had it all spelled out so neatly in an easy to read format.
Here it is: I hope they dont mind me copying it. It is from this website:http://www.stutzfamily.com/mrstutz/WorldAffairs/typesofgovt.html
Looks to be a blog- a very educational one!!!

Descriptions of governments can be based on:

Economy - what provides the goods and services that are bought, sold, and used?

Capitalism

(Russia)

Socialism

(Norway)

Communism

(Cuba)
In a capitalist or free-market economy, people own their own businesses and property and must buy services for private use, such as healthcare. Socialist governments own many of the larger industries and provide education, health and welfare services while allowing citizens some economic choices In a communist country, the government owns all businesses and farms and provides its people's healthcare, education and welfare.

Politics - how is the government run?

Dictatorship

(Iraq)

Totalitarian

(China)

Theocracy

(Iran)

Monarchy

(Jordan)

Parliamentary

(Israel)

Republic

(USA)

Anarchy

(Afghanistan?)
Rule by a single leader who has not been elected and may use force to keep control. In a military dictatorship, the army is in control. Usually, there is little or no attention to public opinion or individual rights. Rule by a single political party.
People are forced to do what the government tells them and may also be prevented from leaving the country.
A form of government where the rulers claim to be ruling on behalf of a set of religious ideas, or as direct agents of a deity. A monarchy has a king or queen, who sometimes has absolute power. Power is passed along through the family A parliamentary system is led by representatives of the people. Each is chosen as a member of a political party and remains in power as long as his/her party does A republic is led by representatives of the voters. Each is individually chosen for a set period of time. Anarchy is a situation where there is no government.
This can happen after a civil war in a country, when a government has been destroyed and rival groups are fighting to take its place.

Authority - who picks the government?

Revolutionary

(USA, France, USSR etc)

Totalitarian

(North Korea)

Oligarchy/Plutocracy

(Pakistan)

Democracy

(India)
The existing structure is overthrown by a completely new group. The new group can be very small - such as the military - or very large - as in a popular revolution. After a period of time, this 'becomes' one of the other type of government (unless there is another coup or uprising). Rule by a single political party.
Votes for alternative candidates and parties are simply not allowed. Citizens are allowed and 'encouraged' to vote, but only for the government's chosen candidates.
A form of government which consists of rule by an elite group who rule in their own interests, especially the accumulation of wealth and privilege. Only certain members of society have a valid voice in the government. This can reflect (but is not limited to) economic interests, a particular religious tradition (theocracy), or familial rule (monarchy). In a democracy, the government is elected by the people. Everyone who is eligible to vote - which is a majority of the population - has a chance to have their say over who runs the country.

REMEMBER: nearly every country in the world is ruled by a system that combines 2 or more of these (for example, the USA is not a true capitalist society, since the government actually provides some services for its citizens). Additionally, one person's opinion of the type of government may differ from another's (many argue that the USA is actually a plutocracy rather than a democracy).

Much of the information on this page came from the following sources:
CBBC - Types of Government
Types of Government
How Canadians Govern Themselves
Political Systems Explained
Best Government?

Now that I have that clear- here's a news flash:
Sarah Palin's 17 year old unmarried daughter is pregnant. I feel sorry for her. Not that it couldn't happen to anyone, but with her 5 children, one of which is pregnant, and a 4 month old baby with Down's Syndrome, maybe she should have said "No" to McCain and to the Republican Vice Presidential nomination and "Yes" to her family. It sounds like they need her.

3 comments:

Dianna said...

Wow. Very educational. I'm glad I stopped here today.. erm.. tonight. I'm so glad for smart friends!

The Iowa Ross Family said...

I think we walk a fine line when we start judging other peoples family lives and what we "see" on the surface. We can't judge others situations. Most of all we should have a forgiving heart when others make mistakes rather than be critical. I'm sure Governor Palin was just as shocked when her daughter told her about her pregnancy. What should a loving mother do? Life happens to all of us and we can only make the best of it and rely on the Lord and His mercy. Too many ridicule and make fun...that's the last thing we should do.

Unknown said...

If you are running for the conservative ticket and you are ultra conservative, which Sarah Palin is, and you believe that family should be put first, why dont you put your family first? I do know, and I am not ultra conservative or even republican, that if I had a special needs baby and a teenage daughter who was pregnant and 3 other kids, I would maybe even quit my job to take care of my family. Many people make that choice and their families are not having any crisis! If Sarah Palin's husband were to run for VP I would expect HIM to make that choice! I dont expect this from other people but when you put yourself out there as someone who SHOULD make that choice, than it is expected. I suppose that I feel bad for her family and I think this is what is mostly wrong with America- people arent putting their family first. I have a hard time backing someone who says that they are going to change America when they make decisions such as these.
I am sure she is a good person and this is not a personal attack on everyone republican. The reason we have elections is so we can judge for ourselves whether we believe these people can make the US a better place for us and our kids to live.