When we speak of political systems, it’s difficult to determine what the most common types are. After all, many political systems are similar, or have similar roots. As you study political science, it can be helpful to understand some of the most common types of political systems from around the world. This article will focus on the various different kinds of political systems that have functioned throughout the ages & what they mean with each political system having its own advantages and disadvantages. Some of the more common political systems around the world include: ★ Democracy ★ Republic ★ Monarchy ★ Communism ★ Dictatorship Republic: Form of government whose authority is based on citizen voters, which are represented by elected or nominated officials chosen in free elections. An example would be the Republic of Ireland. Democracy: Form of government in which the people or their elected representatives govern themselves. An example would be Norway. Theocracy: Form of government where priests rule in the name of God or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided or consistent with the principles of a particular religion. An example would be Vatican City in Rome, Italy. Autocracy: Form of government controlled by absolute power and in the hands of a single person with minimal restraints on the decisions and lack of any mechanisms of popular control. An example of this would be North Korea. Technocracy: Form of government where scientists and technical experts are in control of the state and where rulers are selected on the basis of their knowledge/skill rather than wealth/power. The closest partial example of this form would be the former Soviet Union. Fascism: Form of government that advocates total control of the people and seeks to promote the ancestral and cultural values and eradicate foreign influences. An example of this form would be Germany during the 1933 – 1945 period referred more at the time as Nazi Germany. Anarchy: A state of absence of the law, a state of lawlessness and disorder usually resulting from a failure of government. Monarchy: Form of government where supreme authority is vested in a single or usually hereditary figure such as a king & whose powers can vary from absolute to none at all. An example of these would be Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom. Oligarchy: Rule of a few, a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with a faction of people or families. An example of these would be the period of Apartheid in South Africa, 1948 – 1994. Plutocracy: Form of government ruled by the rich or power provided by wealth often used to describe a wealthy class ruling a government often from behind the scenes. An example of this would be the ancient Roman Empire and a few Ancient Greek territories. Tyranny: Form of government or authority of an absolute ruler, arbitrary exercise of power over subjects not requisite for the purpose of government/approved by law and justice. An example of this would be Zimbabwe. Specifically, under the Mugabe regime from the 1980’s to 2017. Totalitarianism: Form of government or system in which a single political authority regulates total control over state, that is centralized and dictatorial. An example of this would be current day North Korea & the country of Eritrea in East Africa. Federation: Political organization characterized by a union of small states, groups or parties which are self-governed in internal affairs and are run under a central government. An example of this would be Mexico, Brazil, Germany, Switzerland. Communism: System of government, in which the state owns and operates industry on behalf of the people. An example of this would be China and Cuba. Junta: Refers to a group or coalition that takes control of a state after overthrowing a government, usually conducted by military groups and referred to as a coup d'état. Examples of countries would be Mauritania, Guatemala, South Vietnam, El Salvador and most recently Zimbabwe and Libya under Pre and post Gaddafi. Dictatorship: Form of government where the power rests entirely on one person or a group of persons, this rule could be acquired by inheritance or force and is usually oppressive. Examples of this would be Zimbabwe, North Korea, Nazi Germany. Constitutional Monarchies: In this type of monarchy, the ruler is the head of state, but a constitution limits the power, and others make laws. The United Kingdom, Denmark, Kuwait, Spain, Sweden, Tuvalu, and many more are examples of constitutional monarchies. Commonwealth: A nation, state or other political entity founded on law and united by a compact of the people for the common good. There are many examples but most notably, Canada, Namibia, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. Confederacy (Confederation): A union by treaty between states, provinces or territories that creates a central government with limited powers; the constituent entities retain supreme authority over all matters except those delegated to the central government. Emirate: Similar to a Monarchy or Sultanate, a government in which the supreme power is in the hands of an emir (the ruler of a Muslim state); the emir may be an absolute overlord or a sovereign with constitutionally limited authority. Islamic Republic: Form of government adopted by some Muslim states; although such a state is, in theory, a theocracy, it remains a republic, but its laws are required to be compatible with the laws of Islam.
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Not all infectious disease terms are created equal, though often they’re mistakenly used interchangeably. The distinction between the words “pandemic,” “epidemic,” and “endemic” is regularly blurred, even by medical experts. This is because the definition of each term is fluid and changes as diseases become more or less prevalent over time. While conversational use of these words might not require precise definitions, knowing the difference is important to help you better understand public health news and appropriate public health responses. Basic Definitions: ★ An EPIDEMIC is a disease that affects a large number of people within a community, population, or region. ★ A PANDEMIC is an epidemic that’s spread over multiple countries or continents. ★ ENDEMIC is something that belongs to a particular people or country. ★ An OUTBREAK is a greater-than-anticipated increase in the number of endemic cases. It can also be a single case in a new area. If it’s not quickly controlled, an outbreak can become an epidemic. Epidemic vs. Pandemic: A simple way to know the difference between an epidemic and a pandemic is to remember the “P” in pandemic, which means a pandemic has a passport. A pandemic is an epidemic that travels. Epidemic vs. Endemic: An epidemic is actively spreading; new cases of the disease substantially exceed what is expected. More broadly, it’s used to describe any problem that’s out of control, such as “the opioid epidemic.” An epidemic is often localized to a region, but the number of those infected in that region is significantly higher than normal. For example, when COVID-19 was limited to Wuhan, China, it was an epidemic. The geographical spread turned it into a pandemic. Endemics, on the other hand, are a constant presence in a specific location. Malaria is endemic to parts of Africa. Ice is endemic to Antarctica. Endemic vs. Outbreak: Going one step farther, an endemic can lead to an outbreak, and an outbreak can happen anywhere. Sociopaths are often called psychopaths and vice versa but there are differences between a psychopath and a sociopath. Psychopaths, for example, are far more likely to get in trouble with the law while sociopaths are much more likely to blend in with society. And while sociopaths and psychopaths do share some traits, sociopathy (antisocial personality disorder) is generally considered less severe than psychopathy. What Is A Sociopath? A sociopath is actually a person with antisocial personality disorder. Antisocial personality disorder is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the book which contains the diagnostic criteria for mental illnesses) as a cluster B personality disorder (those that are dramatic or emotional). While sociopathy can only be diagnosed at the age of 18 or above, the following must be present before the age of 15 for the diagnosis: ★ Repeated violations of the law ★ Pervasive lying and deception ★ Physical aggressiveness ★ Reckless disregard for the safety of self or others ★ Consistent irresponsibility in work and family environments ★ Lack of remorse ★ Psychopath vs. Sociopath ★ Psychopathy can be thought of as a more severe form of sociopathy with more symptoms. Therefore, all psychopaths are sociopaths but sociopaths are not necessarily psychopaths. According to the Society for the Study of Psychopathy, psychopath traits include: ★ Lack of guilt/remorse ★ Lack of empathy ★ Lack of deep emotional attachments ★ Narcissism ★ Superficial charm ★ Dishonesty ★ Manipulativeness ★ Reckless risk-taking ★ Moreover, approximately 93% of psychopaths are in the criminal justice system. The Difference Between A Psychopath & Sociopath: While the traits of each may seem similar, it is thought that sociopaths have a less severe form of lack of empathy and lack of guilt. It is thought that sociopaths may be able to form some deep bonds (such as, possibly, with family) while a psychopath cannot. While a sociopath would feel no guilt about hurting a stranger, they may feel guilt and remorse over hurting someone with which they share a bond. Additionally, it appears that some of the very antisocial behavior in sociopaths lessens over time while this cannot be said of psychopaths. Psychopaths appear to have no concern whatsoever of the consequences, while a sociopath may learn to avoid consequences over time by reducing antisocial behavior. Prison: A prison is a fascility for those who have already recieved their sentence adn the court has proven them to be criminals. They are run privately, by the state or federal government. Jail: A jail is a place of confinement where people stay while they are waiting for their trial or sentencing. One can compare it simpler like this, Jail is temporary and Prison is most often times permanent. Pyramid schemes and Ponzi schemes have many similar characteristics based around the same concept: unsuspecting individuals get fooled by unscrupulous investors who promise them extraordinary returns in exchange for their money. However, in contrast to a regular investment, these types of schemes can offer consistent "profits" only as long as the number of investors continues to increase. Once the number tapers off, so does the money. Ponzi and pyramid schemes are self-sustaining as long as cash outflows can be matched by monetary inflows. The basic differences arise in the type of products that schemers offer their clients and the structure of the two ploys, but both can be devastating if broken down. Ponzi Schemes: Ponzi schemes are based on fraudulent investment management services—basically, investors contribute money to the "portfolio manager" who promises them a high return, and then when those investors want their money back, they are paid out with the incoming funds contributed by later investors. The person organizing this type of fraud is in charge of controlling the entire operation; they merely transfer funds from one client to another and forgo any real investment activities. The most famous Ponzi scheme in recent history—and the single largest fraud of investors in the United States—was orchestrated for more than a decade by Bernard Madoff, who defrauded investors in Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC. Madoff built a large network of investors that he raised cash from, pooling his almost 5,000 clients' money into an account he withdrew from. He never actually invested the money, and once the financial crisis of 2008 took hold, he could no longer sustain the fraud. The SEC values the total loss to investors to be around $65 billion. The controversy sparked a period in late 2008 that is known as Ponzi Mania, in which regulators and investment professionals were on the hunt for other Ponzi schemes. Pyramid Schemes: A pyramid scheme, on the other hand, is structured so that the initial schemer must recruit other investors who will continue to recruit other investors, and those investors will then continue to recruit additional investors, and so on. Sometimes there will be an incentive that is presented as an investment opportunity, such as the right to sell a particular product. Each investor pays the person who recruited them for the chance to sell this item. The recipient must share the proceeds with those at the higher levels of the pyramid structure. One key difference is that pyramid schemes are harder to prove than Ponzi schemes. They are also better protected because the legal teams behind corporations are much more powerful than those protecting an individual. One of the largest accused pyramid schemes was with the nutritional company Herbalife (HLF). Even though they were labeled as an illegal pyramid scheme and paid out more than $200 million in damages, their products still sell, and the stock price looks healthy. If you cross paths with an unknown species of snake, you may wonder if it’s poisonous or venomous or if there’s even a difference. The truth is “venomous” and “poisonous” are unique concepts, and describe specific ways that animals wield their chemical weaponry. Poison is transmitted by being ingested, inhaled, or touched. Venom, on the other hand, is much more specific, it is only injected. DUI is an acronym for "driving under the influence." DWI stands for "driving while intoxicated," or in some cases, "driving while impaired." The terms can have different meanings or they can refer to the same offense, depending on the state, province and country in which you were pulled over. In any case, DUI and DWI both mean that a driver is being charged with a serious offense that risked the health and safety of himself and others. They can apply not only to alcohol and recreational drugs but also to driving when your prescription drugs impair your abilities. It's also important to understand that one is not worse than the other. Depending on state law, the two terms are both used to describe impaired or drunken driving. Some state laws refer to the offense of drunken driving as a DUI while others call it a DWI. It gets tricky when states use both terms. Quite often, they will refer one to alcohol and the other to impairment by drugs or an unknown substance and the meaning can flip-flop from state to state. In some states, DWI refers to driving while intoxicated of alcohol with a blood alcohol content (BAC) over the legal limit, while DUI is used when the driver is charged with being under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In other states where both terms are used, DWI means driving while impaired (by drugs, alcohol, or some unknown substance), while DUI means driving under the influence of alcohol. It's best to check the definitions of the state you're in. Blood-Alcohol Concentration Isn't the Only Factor in Determining Impaired Driving - Any of these charges mean the arresting officer has reason to believe the driver is too impaired to continue to drive. In some jurisdictions, drivers can be charged with impaired driving (or driving under the influence) even if they do not meet the blood alcohol concentration levels for legal intoxication. For example, if you fail a field sobriety test or otherwise show signs of impairment, you can be charged with driving while impaired even if your blood-alcohol concentration is under the legal limit. Drugged Driving Is Impaired Driving - If you appear to be impaired by the arresting officer, but your breathalyzer test shows that you are not under the influence of alcohol, he may suspect that you have been using drugs and this is impairing your driving ability. These include prescription and nonprescription medications in addition to illegal drugs. The officer can perform a series of tests to get further information. Consequences of an Impaired Driving Arrest - No matter what the offense is called in your jurisdiction, if you are arrested for impaired driving, you will be facing serious consequences. If you are convicted or plead guilty, you will probably lose your driver's license and pay fines and court fees. For a second offense, you may spend some time in jail. It is also likely that you will be placed on probation and be required to perform community service. To get your driver's license back, you will probably have to attend defensive driving classes. In most states, you will probably undergo an evaluation of your drinking or substance use patterns as well. Based on the results of that evaluation, you may have to take part in a drug or alcohol treatment program. That program could range from attending a few support group meetings like Alcoholics Anonymous to entering a residential treatment facility. Capitalism: An economic system where the means of production are owned by the private individual. Companies live by the profit motive. They exist to make money. All companies have owners and managers. It is the governments job by enforcing laws and regulations to make sure there is a level playing field for privately run companies. Socialism: The means of production such as money and other forms of capital are owned by the state or public. Under a socialist system, everyone works for wealth that is in turn distributed to everyone. The government decides how wealth is distributed among the people. They provide for the people. |
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