Exercise Solutions Available
Step-by-step answers for all textbook questions in this chapter
Quick Summary
Government systems vary across the world. This chapter compares different forms of government including democracy, monarchy, dictatorship, and focuses on India's parliamentary federal system.
Key Terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Democracy | Government by the people |
| Monarchy | Rule by a king or queen |
| Dictatorship | Authoritarian rule by one person |
| Parliamentary | Executive is part of and answerable to legislature |
| Presidential | Executive is separately elected from legislature |
| Federal | Power divided between central and state governments |
| Unitary | Power concentrated in central government |
Classification of Governments
By Source of Power
- Democracy: People are the source of power (USA, India, UK)
- Monarchy: Hereditary ruler (UK — constitutional monarchy; Saudi Arabia — absolute monarchy)
- Dictatorship: Rule by single person or party (North Korea, Nazi Germany)
- Oligarchy: Rule by a small group
By Relationship of Executive to Legislature
- Parliamentary: Executive drawn from legislature; responsible to it
- Examples: India, UK, Australia
- India: Prime Minister + Cabinet are from Parliament; responsible to Lok Sabha
- Presidential: Separately elected executive; fixed term; not responsible to legislature
- Examples: USA, Brazil, Mexico
- USA: President elected directly; cannot be removed by Congress in normal circumstances
By Distribution of Power
- Federal: Power divided between centre and states
- Examples: India, USA, Australia, Germany
- Unitary: Power concentrated at centre; states have limited autonomy
- Examples: UK, France, Japan, Sri Lanka
India's Parliamentary System
| Feature | India's Parliament |
|---|---|
| Upper House | Rajya Sabha (250 members max) |
| Lower House | Lok Sabha (545 members max) |
| Executive | President (head of state), PM + Cabinet (head of government) |
| Responsibility | Cabinet responsible to Lok Sabha |
| No-confidence | Government falls if Lok Sabha passes no-confidence motion |
India's Federal System
- Union List: 100 subjects for Centre (defence, foreign policy, currency)
- State List: 61 subjects for States (police, agriculture, public health)
- Concurrent List: 52 subjects for both (education, forests, marriage)
- Residual powers: with Centre
- Governor: representative of Centre in state
Why India is "Quasi-Federal"
India is federal in structure but tends towards unitary:
- Centre can override states during emergencies
- Rajya Sabha can transfer State List items to Centre
- Governor appointed by Centre
- Single citizenship
Important Questions
One Mark
1. What is democracy? 2. Name one country with a presidential system. 3. How many lists are there in India's federal structure? 4. What is Rajya Sabha? 5. Who appoints the Governor of a state?
Short Answer (3 marks)
1. Compare parliamentary and presidential systems of government. 2. What is federalism? How does India's federal system work? 3. How is the Prime Minister different from the President in India?
Long Answer (5 marks)
1. Describe the features of India's parliamentary system. 2. Compare democracy with other forms of government — monarchy and dictatorship.
Common Mistakes
- India has a PARLIAMENTARY system — the PM is the real executive, not the President.
- USA has a PRESIDENTIAL system — the President is both head of state and head of government.
- India is FEDERAL but with strong central tendencies — do not say it is purely unitary.
Revision Checklist
- I can define democracy, monarchy, and dictatorship with examples.
- I know the difference between parliamentary and presidential systems.
- I can explain the three lists of India's federal system.
- I know India's Parliament has two houses: Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha.