Governments of India, China, and Japan

GPS and E.Q.GPS: S7CG7a. Compare and contrast the federal

republic of The Republic of India, the communist state of The People’s Republic of China, and the constitutional monarchy of Japan, distinguishing the form of leadership and the role of the citizen in terms of voting rights and personal freedoms.

E.Q.: How do the governments of India, China, and Japan compare?

Vocabulary• Republic: type of government in which elected individuals

make decisions for the people

• Secular: favors no special religion

• Communism: government controls all the country’s decisions

• Constitutional monarchy: government with a king or emperor whose power is limited b a constitution.

• Bicameral – 2 house parliament

• Untouchables: lowest caste in India; social outcasts.

The Republic of IndiaBharat Ganrajya

• Anthem:• India became independent in 1947, after

247 years of British rule.• India modeled its government after Great

Britain’s and became the world’s largest democracy.

• The Indian constitution was adopted in 1950; it guarantees all citizens basic rights.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HReDR6Zw0pc

Where Parliament is held

Where the President lives

भा�रत गणर�ज्य

• Even untouchables and women were granted voting rights.

• Indian law requires women and untouchables to be allowed to run for office.

• Today some untouchables are elected government officials, and several women have been elected prime minister (Indira Gandhi was the first, in the 1990s).

(Read article on Untouchables from National Geographic.)

vice president and untouchable, 1996

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCRiwlw7ltY

India is a Republic

• Because one house of India’s Parliament is elected, it is a republic.

• Elections for national office are held every 5 years.

India’s Government

VILLAGE COUNCIL

(PANCHAYAT

VILLAGE COUNCIL

(PANCHAYAT

VILLAGE COUNCIL

(PANCHAYAT

VILLAGE COUNCIL

(PANCHAYAT

VILLAGE COUNCIL

(PANCHAYAT

GROUP OF VILLAGES

GROUP OF VILLAGES

DISTRICT COUNCIL

Women and untouchables must be allowed to run for offices at these 3 levels, according to India’s laws

HOUSE OF THE

PEOPLE

COUNCIL OFSTATES

Elected from

PARLIAMENT(BICAMERAL)

Prime minister – leader of majority party; appointed by & advises the President; head of gov’t

President – Elected by Parliament & State Gov’ts – Chief Executive – has most power

Chosen by state legislatures

No notes – just read

Issues

• India is large and diverse: many– Languages – Castes – Religions

• National government has to work hard to make sure all groups feel included and are equally protected.

• The country is secular (favors no religion over another) but the majority are Hindu.

No notes – just read

The People’s Republic of China 中國人民共和國

• Anthem:

• Communist country – 1 party dictatorship; oligarchy

• Became communist in 1949 when Communist Party Chairman Mao Tse-Tung took power in a revolution.

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=%22March+of+the+Volunteers%22+national+anthem&mid=7F90227F00EB739A71D17F90227F00EB739A71D1&view=detail&FORM=VIRE2

Communism in China

• The government has some control over almost every aspect of people’s lives.

• The government decides who will do which jobs.• All children must attend school (this was a big

improvement for the poor).• Property was taken from wealthy landowners and

given to the poor.• Rural farmers were organized into communities and told what and

how to farm.• Industries were controlled by the government.

The Years Following the Revolution

• There was great suffering.• Many Chinese starved.

• Most people were not worried about losing personal freedoms because they had none before the communists took over.

• Today the Communist Party still runs the country.

Elections

• The National People’s Congress (NPC) is elected every 5 years by a vote of every Chinese citizen over 18.

• The Communist Party approves the people who run for office.

• The NPC chooses a president and vice president.

• The president chooses a premier.

Changes

• China is slowly becoming more free.

• Chinese people want European and American goods.

• The internet has made the Chinese more aware of other ways of life.

• But: the role of the citizen, including what job he has and what education he has, is still controlled by the government. – No votes are cast in an election for anyone not

approved by the Party (NPC).

The Constitutional Monarchy of Japan

• Anthem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaV3ggRAaBU

• Before WWII, Japan was a monarchy ruled by emperor Hirohito.

• His people believed he was descended from the Sun (they thought he was a god). Few people had ever seen him.

• After WWII, the U.S. helped reorganize Japan as a constitutional monarchy.

日本国

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ez85wg61r4

Japan…Reorganized

• 1947: Japan adopted their 1st constitution, which set up a bicameral parliament, called the Diet.

• Japanese citizens over age 20 vote for members of the Diet.

• The Diet elects a prime minister and cabinet (group) of advisors.

• The prime minister is head of the government.

• The emperor only has symbolic power, and the constitution states he is no longer considered a god.

Complete the chart on CRCT Test Prep page 164

COUNTRY TYPE OF GOVERNMENT

WHO VOTES ROLE OF RELIGION

DESIGN OF GOVERNMENT

JAPAN

CHINA

INDIA

CRCT Test Prep pages162-166

1. Which best describes the Japanese government?

A. Monarchy

B. Theocracy

C. Federal democracy

D. Constitutional monarchy

D. Constitutional monarchy

CRCT Test Prep pages162-166

2. The Japanese parliament is called the A. Diet.

B. Congress.

C. Knesset.

D. House of Representatives

A. Diet

CRCT Test Prep pages162-166

3. What role do religious leaders play in the Indian government?

A. No religious leaders are allowed to run for political office in India.

B. Religious leaders choose the candidates that run from most rural areas.

C. They are guaranteed a certain number of representatives in each election.

D. The country has a secular government in order to avoid seeming to favor one group over another.

D. The country has a secular government in order to avoid seeming to favor one group over another.

CRCT Test Prep pages162-166

4. Who is allowed to vote in Indian elections? A. All citizens who are 16 years of age or older

B. All citizens who are 18 years of age or older

C. Only men who can prove they are Indian citizens

D. Only those who can prove they were born in India

B. All citizens who are 18 years of age or older

CRCT Test Prep pages162-166

5. Who is allowed to vote in Japan? A. Only men can vote in Japanese elections.

B. All citizens who are 20 years of age or older

C. Only those who can read and write

D. Voters who can prove they were born in Japan

B. All citizens who are 20 years of age or older

CRCT Test Prep pages162-166

6. What sort of government is the People’s Republic of China?

A. monarchy

B. Federal democracy

C. Constitutional monarchy

D. Communist government

D. Communist government

CRCT Test Prep pages162-166

7. What is the name of the elected Chinese legislative assembly?

A. The Diet

B. Political Bureau

C. Chinese Communist Party

D. National People’s Congress

D. National People’s Congress

CRCT Test Prep pages162-166

8. Who can vote in national elections in China?

A. Only Chinese menB. Only those who live in citiesC. All citizens who are 18 years of age or olderD. Voters who have completed 12 years of

school

C. All citizens who are 18 years of age or older

CRCT Test Prep pages162-166

9. How often are elections for the national government held in India?

A. Elections are held every 6 years.

B. Party members are elected for life.

C. Elections for national office are held every 5 years.

D. Religious leaders can require new elections to be held if they think it is necessary.

C. Elections for national office are held every 5 years.

CRCT Test Prep pages162-166

10. Which country is the world’s largest democracy?

A. India

B. Japan

C. China

D. Korea

A. India

CRCT Test Prep pages162-166

11. Who was Indira Gandhi? A. Mother of Mohandas Gandhi

B. Powerful religious leader in India

C. First woman prime minister in India

D. Leader of the effort to end the Untouchable caste in India

C. First woman prime minister in India

CRCT Test Prep pages162-166

12. What role do the people play in a government like that of Japan?

A. The people have the real power in Japan.B. They have the power to vote the Japanese emperor

out of office.C. The people get to approve the laws made by the

Japanese emperor.D. They have little power because the emperor makes

most decisions.

A. The people have the real power in Japan.

CRCT Test Prep pages162-166

13. What was the position of the Japanese emperor before WWII?

A. His power was weakened by a powerful parliament.B. He was believed to be a god descended from the

sun.C. The emperor played a part in selecting people to

run for public office.D. The emperor was very involved running the

government on a daily basis.

B. He was believed to be a god descended from the sun.

CRCT Test Prep pages162-166

14. What group makes most of the important decisions in the government of the People’s Republic of China today?

A. The wealthy landownersB. The Chinese Communist PartyC. Mao Tse-Tung and his advisersD. People in the local village councils

B. The Chinese Communist Party

CRCT Test Prep pages162-166

15. Who chooses the president and vice-president of the National People’s Congress in China?

A. People are chosen for these jobs by the king.B. The members of the National People’s Congress

choose them.C. The voters choose people for these jobs in the

general election.D. These jobs are filled by the 2 oldest members of the

National People’s Congress.

B. The members of the National People’s Congress choose them.

CRCT Test Prep pages162-166

16. The premier of the National People’s Congress in China is chosen by the

A. president.

B. National People’s Congress.

C. president and vice-president.

D. Chinese voters in general elections.

A. president.

CRCT Test Prep pages162-166

17. Who was the first leader of the People’s Republic of China?

A. Hirohito

B. Mao Tse-Tung

C. Indira Gandhi

D. Mohandas Gandhi

B. Mao Tse-Tung