Key Concepts:
Government is the
institutions, laws and customs by which your world is ruled or managed.
Nearly all worlds
develop structures that give some people power over others. In families, for instance, parents have power to
discipline and teach their children. Government
is another power structure. Throughout
history many forms of government have been tried. (Information from Create a Culture,
@The Learning Works, Inc.)
·
Aristocracy is government by
a small, privileged class, usually wealthy or educated or respected members of your world.
·
Democracy is the government
in which people vote for leaders to represent them and to pass laws and decide policies.
·
Monarchy is rule by a king
or queen who gains power by being born into a royal family or by marrying royalty.
·
Oligarchy is rule by a small
group of people who select themselves as leaders.
·
Plutocracy is a government
controlled by a culture’s wealthiest members.
·
Theocracy is a government
controlled by a culture’s religious leader or leaders.
·
Dictatorship is a type of
government in which one individual holds power and makes all political and military
decisions.
·
Totalitarianism is the belief that
every aspect of government, work, education, the arts, science—in fact, all of
the life and thought—must match the beliefs of those in power.
Answer the
questions in the space provided:
What form of
government does your world have?
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How are the
leaders selected? Who is the leader?
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What are the titles of those in power?
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What are the
responsibilities of those in power?
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What ceremonies are held when a new leader is named?
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Are the people
happy with their government?
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Is there a written
record of the laws in your world?
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How are arguments
or disputes settled?
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What major laws
have been made and why?
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What punishments
exist for lawbreakers?
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