Forms & Characteristics of Government - Videos & Lessons

About This Chapter

Review information on various types of governments and their distinguishing features. Learn more about the benefits and drawbacks of each system and find out a little about their history.

Forms & Characteristics of Government - Chapter Summary

Use our video and text lessons to review information on various types of governments, their histories and the pros and cons of each. You'll look at several forms of democracy and explore the Congressional and Parliamentary systems of making laws. After completing this chapter, you should have knowledge of topics including:

Analysis of various types of government
Characteristics and history of fascism
Types and principles of democracy
Advantages and disadvantages of direct democracy
Differences between Congress and Parliament

Our instructors keep these brief lessons entertaining but information-packed, with lots of examples and humor. Short lesson quizzes and chapter exams let you evaluate your learning, and the clickable Timeline makes it easy to skip back to parts of the lesson that you wish to review without re-watching the entire video.

5 Lessons in Chapter 15: Forms & Characteristics of Government

Chapter Practice Test

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1. Forms of Government: Monarchy, Democracy, Oligarchy & More

The governance of nations differs significantly based on who has power. This lesson will differentiate five forms of government: monarchy, democracy, oligarchy, authoritarianism, and totalitarianism.

2. Fascism: Characteristics, History & Rise

In this lesson, we explore the characteristics of the form of government known as fascism, including briefly examining history's best example of fascism: Hitler's Germany.

3. What is Democracy? - Definition, Types & Principles

In this lesson, we will study the nature of democracy. We will define the term, take a look at the types of democracy, and examine its basic principles.

4. What is Direct Democracy? - Definition, Examples, Pros & Cons

Direct democracy is a form of government in which all laws are created by a general vote of society. We'll consider some examples of direct democracy and look at some pros and cons of this type of democracy.

5. Congress vs. Parliament: Main Differences

In this lesson, we will review the major differences between Congress and Parliament. We will take a closer look at why these differences exist and how they affect decision-making in those particular democratic countries.

Chapter Practice Exam

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Practice Final Exam

Test your knowledge of the entire course with a 50 question practice final exam.

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Visit the Ohio Assessments for Educators - Elementary Education (018/019): Practice & Study Guide page to learn more.

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