Class 9 & 10 | SEBA/ASSEB | Assam's Learning Hub

SEBA Class 9 Political Science: TYPES OR CLASSIFICATION OF GOVERNMENT

EXERCISE QUESTION

GIVE A VERY SHORT ANSWER

1. Who was the first political philosopher to classify the government?

Answer: The ancient Greek philosopher Plato was the first one to classify the government.

2. Which is the most popular government in the world at present?

Answer: The most popular government in the world at present is the Democratic government.

3. Give the name of a state having a Parliamentary form of government.

Answer: A state having a Parliamentary form of government is England.

4. Who is the Head of the government and the Head of the state in the Parliamentary form of government?

Answer: In the Parliamentary form of government, the Prime Minister is the Head of the Government, and the President, King, or Queen is the Head of the State.

5. In what type of government Principle of Separation of Power is found?

Answer: The Principle of Separation of Power is found in the Presidential form of government.

6. Give the name of a state having Presidential form of government.

Answer: A state having the Presidential form of government is the United States of America (USA).

7. Give the name of a state having Unitary form of government.

Answer: A state having a Unitary form of government is Britain. (France, Japan, Italy, the Netherlands)

8. What are the two governments found in the Federal form of government?

Answer: The two governments found in the Federal form of government are —

1. The Central Government, and

2. The Provincial Governments of the constituent provinces.

9. Which type of government is found in Switzerland?

Answer: The Federal type of government is found in Switzerland.

10.Is there a system of Dual citizenship in India?

Answer: No, there is no system of Dual citizenship in India.

GIVE A SHORT ANSWER

1. What are the different types of government prevalent in the world at present?

Answer: The different types of government prevalent in the world at present are —

1. Unitary form of government

2. Federal form of government

3. Parliamentary form of government

4. Presidential form of government

2. Give the two characteristics of the Parliamentary form of government.

Answer: The two characteristics of the Parliamentary form of government are as follows:

1. Two Heads: In this system, there are two heads. One is the nominal executive, and the other is the real or actual executive. The Council of Ministers, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, is the real executive, while the President, King, or Queen is the nominal executive.

2. Members of the Executive are also Members of the Legislature: In this type of government, the executive or the Council of Ministers are also members of the legislature.

3. Write briefly about the two merits and two demerits of the Parliamentary form of government.

Answer: Merits of the Parliamentary form of government:

1. In this form of government, there is proper understanding, good cooperation, and cordial relations between the executive and the legislature. As a result, any kind of problem can be solved easily through laws.

2. The government cannot act against the interests of the people, because the executive remains responsible and accountable to the legislature for its actions.

Demerits of the Parliamentary form of government:

1. If no political party gains a clear majority, it leads to the formation of an alliance government, which may prove to be temporary and cause political instability.

2. The ministers are often inexperienced in departmental work, so they depend heavily on bureaucrats, which increases the influence of bureaucracy in the government.

4. What is meant by the Principle of Separation of Powers?

Answer: The Principle of Separation of Powers means that the executive and the legislature are separated from each other, and both work independently within their own areas. In this type of government, the executive is not responsible to the legislature, and the members of the legislature cannot become members of the executive. Likewise, the executive members cannot take part in the functioning of the legislature. This principle helps to keep both organs independent and free from interference in each other’s work.

5. Give the two characteristics of the Presidential form of government.

Answer: The two characteristics of the Presidential form of government are:

1. No distinction between the Head of the State and the Head of the Government: In this system, the President is both the Head of the State as well as the Head of the Government.

2. Principle of Separation of Powers: The executive is not responsible to the legislature, and both organs are independent of each other. The members of the legislature cannot become members of the executive, and the executive also cannot participate in the working of the legislature.

3. The President is elected for a fixed period and cannot be removed during that time except when a proposal is passed for violation of constitutional provisions while performing official duties.

6. Write briefly about two merits and two demerits of the Unitary form of government.

Answer:

Merits of the Unitary form of government:

1. The Unitary form of government governs the whole state with the same laws, and therefore, the administration is effective, strong, and uniform throughout the country. No complexities are found in running the government, as the laws and policies are common for all regions.

2. Since the central government administers the whole state, it has to bear the responsibility and accountability for any flaw or failure in administration. The central government cannot blame the local units, because the final authority lies in its hands.

3. The expenditure in running the government machinery is comparatively less than in other systems. As a result, a huge amount of money becomes available for developmental works like education, health, and infrastructure.

Demerits of the Unitary form of government:

1. The Unitary form of government is not suitable for a state that is very big in size, as it becomes difficult for the central government to administer and control all regions effectively from one centre.

2. The common people do not get any opportunity to participate actively in the government of the state. As a result, they lack political activeness and awareness, which weakens democratic values.

3. The central government is overburdened with administrative responsibilities because it alone has to run the entire administration. The regional problems do not get due importance, and the local units fail to solve their issues as they do not possess independence.

GIVE A LONG ANSWER

1. Write the merits and demerits of the Presidential form of government.

Answer: Merits of the Presidential form of government:

1. The Presidential form of government is permanent in nature, because the President, as the Head of the State and the Government, is elected for a fixed tenure and cannot be removed easily under normal conditions.

2. The three organs of the government—the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary—function independently from each other based on the principle of Separation of Powers. This ensures a system of checks and balance, preventing misuse of power.

3. This form of government is very useful in times of emergency, as all real powers rest with the President, who can take quick and necessary decisions without facing obstacles.

4. The executive is strong and stable in this system, which helps to safeguard the unity and integrity of the state and ensures efficient administration.

Demerits of the Presidential form of government:

1. In this system, the legislature cannot control the executive, so there is a possibility of the President becoming autocratic.

2. There is no cooperation between the executive and the legislature, as both are separated and work independently, leading to frequent conflicts.

3. The rigid constitution makes it difficult to amend laws, even when necessary, to suit changing situations and needs.

4. If the executive and the legislature belong to different political parties, it may lead to political conflicts and instability within the government.

2. Write the characteristics of the Parliamentary form of government.

Answer: The main characteristics of the Parliamentary form of government are as follows:

1. Two Heads: In this system, there are two heads. One is the nominal executive, and the other is the real or actual executive. The Council of Ministers, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, is the real executive, while the President, King, or Queen is the nominal executive.

2. Members of the Executive are also Members of the Legislature: In this type of government, the executive or the Council of Ministers are also members of the legislature.

3. Close Relationship between Legislature and Executive: There is a close and cooperative relationship between the legislature and the executive, and both work together to run the administration.

4. Responsibility of the Council of Ministers: The Council of Ministers remains responsible to the legislature for all its actions. If the legislature passes a No-Confidence Motion against it, the Council of Ministers must resign.

5. Collective Responsibility: The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the legislature. If one minister fails, the whole council becomes responsible for it.

These features show that in the Parliamentary form of government, the executive and legislature work in close cooperation, and the executive remains accountable to the legislature for its actions.

3. Discuss with examples why the Federal form of government has become popular at present.

Answer: The Federal form of government has become popular at present because it is found to be most suitable for large and diverse states. In this system, both the central and the provincial governments exist together, and each works independently in its own sphere. This helps to maintain both national unity and regional autonomy at the same time.

It is also ideal for big states where people belonging to different religions, castes, communities, and linguistic groups live together. The distribution of powers between the centre and the provinces enables the central government to focus on national issues, while the provincial governments look after local problems.

Because of these advantages, the federal system has become successful in countries like the USA, Australia, Switzerland, Africa, and India. Hence, the federal form of government is considered useful and suitable for big states having diversity and differences.

4. Write the characteristics of the Unitary form of government.

Answer: The main characteristics of the Unitary form of government are as follows:

1. A strong central government: In the Unitary form of government, the constitution vests all the state powers in the central government, for which the central government becomes all-powerful. The entire state is governed from the centre itself, and all important decisions are taken by the central authority.

2. A written or unwritten constitution: The constitution in the Unitary form of government may be either written or unwritten. For example, the constitution of England is unwritten, whereas that of the Netherlands is written.

3. Single citizenship: Single citizenship is another important feature of the Unitary form of government. Unlike in the Federal type of government, the system of dual citizenship is not in practice, and all citizens enjoy only one citizenship of the whole state.

4. Weak Judiciary: The supremacy of the legislature is found in the Unitary form of government. The laws enacted by the legislature apply to the whole state, and the Judiciary does not have the power to review or declare such laws unconstitutional.

5. Flexible constitution: The constitution in a Unitary form of government is generally flexible in nature, and the central government can amend its provisions easily whenever it finds it necessary.

These characteristics show that in the Unitary form of government, all powers remain centralized, and the central government controls the entire administration of the state directly.

5. Is the Unitary form of government really democratic? Give a critical analysis.

Answer: The Unitary form of government may or may not be democratic. In this system, the state power is centralized at the hands of the central government, and the whole state is governed from the centre itself. The administrative units under this system are not constitutional and remain under the direct control of the central government. As a result, the mass people do not get any opportunity to participate actively in the government of the state, and the regional problems do not get due importance. Moreover, the central government becomes overburdened with the functions of administration, and the system turns more bureaucratic in nature. There also remains a fear of the Unitary form of government becoming autocratic, as all powers are concentrated in one authority. Hence, the Unitary form of government cannot always be called fully democratic, since people’s participation and regional independence are very limited.