What is the difference between democratic and non-democratic government?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain what a democratic and non-democratic government is and describe the key differences between them.
Key learning points
- Democratic governments have free, fair elections and citizen participation.
- Non-democratic governments limit political freedom and control powers.
- Democratic governments choose their leaders whereas non-democratic governments might not.
Keywords
Democracy - a system of government in which citizens vote in regular, fair elections for representatives, who then make laws and decisions on their behalf
Government - the group of people with the authority to govern a country; in the UK, the Government is chosen and led by the Prime Minister (PM)
Common misconception
Non-democratic governments do not provide any rights or benefits to their people.
Non-democratic governments might limit political freedom and participation. However, they may still provide rights and benefits to their people.
Teacher tip
Allow pupils to discuss and debate the advantages and disadvantages of democratic and non-democratic systems of government.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Who is the Head of State in the United Kingdom?
Q2.Fill in the gap: Local democracy gives people the power to make decisions about their .
Q3.Match each political role to its function.
represents a constituency and debates national laws
makes decisions on local issues such as housing and transport
leads the Government and makes national policies
ensures debates in Parliament run fairly
Q4.Which of these is a strength of the UK's democratic system?
Q5.How can young people act democratically before they turn 18?
Q6.Fill in the gap: In the UK, laws are made in the House of Commons and the .
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the words to their correct definitions.
a system where the human rights of citizens are respected
a system where one leader or a small group, without opposition
the group responsible for making and enforcing the laws of a country
Q2.Fill in the gap: The distribution of responsibilities among different branches so no one person, or group of people, holds too much control is known as the .
Q3.How might a non-democratic government limit political freedom?
Q4.How might elections in democratic and non-democratic countries differ?
Q5.In a democracy, what may happens if the Government becomes unpopular?
Q6.Which of these is not a benefit of a multi-party system?
To help you plan your 11 citizenship lesson on: What is the difference between democratic and non-democratic government?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 citizenship lesson on: What is the difference between democratic and non-democratic government?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 citizenship lessons from the How do others govern? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.