Introduction to forms of government
The five forms of government students learn about during the introduction to the unit are discussed here to provide some basic, general understanding. Throughout the following descriptions are the connecting storylines of Let’s Chat about Democracy: Exploring Forms of Government in a Treehouse, summarizing how the children are working to determine the type of government that will work best in their new city park treehouse.
Monarchy
A monarchy, (from the Greek monos, "one," and archein, "to rule") is a form of government that has a monarch as Head of State. The distinguishing characteristic of monarchies is that the Head of State holds their office for life, unlike in a republic, where a president is normally elected for a certain amount of time.
The term monarchy is also used to refer to the people and institutions that make up the royal establishment, or to the realm in which the monarchy functions. Elective monarchies, distinguished by the monarchs being appointed for life, have in most cases been succeeded by hereditary monarchies. In the hereditary system, the position of monarch involves inheritance according to an order of succession, usually within one royal family tracing its origin back to a historical dynasty or bloodline. In some cases, the royal family may claim to hold authority by virtue of God's choosing, or other religious-based authority.
In most countries with monarchies, the monarch serves as a symbol of continuity and statehood. Many states have a strong convention against the monarch becoming involved in partisan politics. In some cases, the symbolism of monarchy alongside the symbolism of democracy can lead to division over the apparently contradictory principles. (2)
In the treehouse story, the character Allie feels she is entitled to rule over the treehouse and make of the decisions because her family donated the land to the town for the new community park. The neighborhood children wonder, “who made her queen?” As Allie goes about making plans about just how the treehouse will be used, she outwardly disregards any suggestions from the others. Her response is that her family had the land for hundreds of years so why shouldn’t she be in charge. Mrs. Quinn, overhearing the discussion, helps the children understand that Allie’s family was the benefactor that had donated their private property to the town, making it now public property. Some of the students remembered learning about some kings and queens in school who made all the decisions and the people had no choice. They made a group decision to do whatever they wanted!
Anarchy
The children all arrive in the morning, each with their own ideas and sports equipment, games, toy, backpacks and wagons filled stuffed with supplies and each ready to use the space as they had individually decided. This situation quickly becomes uncomfortable and the disagreements ensue. Belongings get damaged and lost and all seems to be in chaos. One again, their neighbor Mrs. Quinn steps in to help the children realize that this approach to governing their space looks like anarchy.
Anarchy refers to a society, entity, group of people, or a single person that rejects hierarchy. The word originally meant leaderlessness, but Pierre-Joseph Proudhon adopted the term in his 1840 treatise What Is Property? to refer to anarchism, a new political philosophy which advocates stateless societies based on voluntary associations.(3)
In practical terms, anarchy can refer to the limitation or elimination of traditional forms of government and institutions. It can also describe a nation that has no system of government or central rule. Anarchy is primarily advocated by individual anarchists who propose replacing government with voluntary institutions.
This political philosophy advocates self-governed societies based on voluntary institutions; individual freedom, voluntary association, and opposition to the state are important beliefs of anarchism. (4)
Dictatorship
A dictatorship is a government headed by a dictator or more generally any authoritarian or totalitarian government. Although a dictatorship is often seen as equivalent to a police state, the term dictatorship refers to the way the leaders gain and hold power, not the watch kept on the citizens. Some dictators have been popular enough not to have to employ many oppressive measures. The term generally has a pejorative meaning in reference to a government that does not allow a nation to determine its own political direction by popular election. (5)
Originally a legitimate military office in the Roman Republic, a "dictator" was an official given emergency powers by the Senate. The dictator had absolute power, but for a limited time. This was initially intended to deal with some state of emergency. In modern times, claims of such states of emergency are often used to justify seizures of power and suspensions of civil rights. In the 20th and 21st centuries, the term dictatorship has come to mean a form of government in which absolute power is concentrated in the hands of a dictator and sometimes his supporters; it can also refer to the consolidation of power by a single-party, military, head of state, or head of government.
Many dictators have held the formal title of "President," but wield extraordinary, often non-constitutional or de facto powers. In the case of many African or Asian former colonies, after achieving their independence, the presidential regime was gradually transformed into a dictatorship, but the title nominally remained. Dictators rarely hold titles like "prime minister" because that position suggests a secondary status to a Head of State. Communist dictators, by contrast, often held different titles, such as "General Secretary." Some dictators that have come to power by a military coup gain or continue to hold a military post - this is the common case in the Latin American dictatorial regimes. (6)
As the children continue to work toward an agreeable government, out of the chaos of anarchy, Mikey begins to run the treehouse and area around it like a dictator. He, and his “staff” all wearing white t-shirts tell the others where they may go, what they may do and for how long. His rationale to the others is that he knows best and if everyone just listens to him, it will all work out. Over the next several weeks, fewer and fewer children were coming to the park which left the treehouse to Mikey and his dictates for their sole use.
Communism
Back at home, the children are working on a new plan to somehow begin to enjoy the park and treehouse again. Jack shares his idea that everyone can use the park equally. Hour by hour the children will move around the park, shifting around in small groups to play soccer, basketball, kickball, and of course, have some time in the treehouse…once a day, every day. This certainly seemed better than have someone tell you what to do like in a monarchy or dictatorship or the chaos they experienced during the day of no plans. Now everyone can cooperate and be equal.
The children had come upon a communist structure. Communism is a term that can refer to one of several things: a social and economic system, an ideology which supports that system, or a political movement that wishes to implement that system. (7)
As a social and economic system, communism would be a type of egalitarian society with no state, no privately-owned means of production, and no social classes. All property is owned cooperatively and collectively, by the community as a whole, and all people have equal social and economic status and rights. Human need or advancement is not left unsatisfied because of poverty and is rather solved through distribution of resources as needed. (8)
Once again, the children find that this approach was not as comfortable as Jack had hoped. Many wanted to spend more time in one location, for example, practicing soccer instead of having to leave that area at the sound of the bell and be required to do something else. They were following a schedule and a set of rules but there was no opportunity to choise where they spent their time.
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