What is Government?

What is Government?

A government is a term used to describe:

• The system of rules used to run a community,
• The people who make and administer those roles.

All around the world different countries and communities have different types of governments. In New Zealand, we have a democracy for a government. This means that people vote on which rules we have and which people are responsible for making and administering these rules.

In some countries, there is only one person who is in charge and they make all the rules that people are responsible for the following. This is a dictatorship.

Some countries even have no government which is called anarchy. This means that people live without any rules but often when there is no government someone will try to step in and take power for themselves.

Questions - either make a copy of this document and save it into your social studies folder or write the questions and answers into your book.

1. Write down any words you have never heard before and find the dictionary definition for them e.g. anarchy.

Democracy: a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state through elected representatives.

Dictatorship: government by a dictator 

Anarchy: a state of disorder due to absence or non-recognition of authority or other controlling systems.

2. Do you think that countries or communities that are bigger (more people) need a more complex government system than smaller ones need?

I think all countries need a complex government system. Big or Small, they all deserve a complex government system.

3. What benefit(s) do you think people gain from being in a group?

• Solve more complex problems then they could if they were by themselves.
• They can share their skills and knowledge.
• Develop new ways to approach a problem.

4. How can having a leader or group of leaders help people?

They can help guide people in the right way.  

5. Why do you think some countries have or prefer to have no government (anarchy)?

I think they prefer to have no government because they want to live without rules.

Prime Ministers of New Zealand

Jenny Shipley

New Zealand's 36th Prime Minister

Date of Birth: 4th February 1952

Full Name: Jennifer Mary Shipley

Before she was prime minister:
Attended Marlborough Girls College.

She qualified in 1971 as a teacher through the Christchurch College of Education and taught in New Zealand primary schools until 1976.

Education:
Christchurch College of Education.

Family:

Jenny Shipley’s husband is Burton Shipley, they have two children together, Anna Shipley and Ben Shipley.

Politics:
Jenny Shipley is a New Zealand former politician who served as the 36th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1997 to 1999. She was the first female prime minister of New Zealand, and is the only woman to have led the National Party.

Helen Clark

New Zealand's 37th Prime Minister

Date of birth: 25th February 1950

Full Name: Helen Elizabeth Clark

Early Years:
Helen Clark was the eldest of four daughters of a farming family. Her mother, Margaret McMurray, was a primary school teacher. Her father, George, was a farmer. Helen Clark studied at Te Pahu Primary School, at Epsom Girls' Grammar School in Auckland and at the University of Auckland, where she majored in politics and graduated with an MA (Honours) in 1974. 

Education:
University of Auckland.

Family:

Helen Clark is married to her husband, Peter Davis.

Politics:
Helen Clark is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008, and was the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was New Zealand's fifth-longest-serving prime minister, and the second woman to hold that office.

Music

A 'piano' is an acoustic instrument with weighted keys whereas a 'keyboard' is an electric instrument. The white keys of a piano represent musical tones while the black keys represent the half step interval between those musical tones. Your left-hand plays the lower keys and your right hand generally plays melodies.

Hurumanu Poem

Today in power to the people Hurumanu we were writing poems form a template, here is the poem I wrote. Jasmine-
I look in the mirror and what do I see?

A funny, thoughtful, bold person looking back at me.

I’m really good at cheering people up.

And love doing creative things.

I spend lots of time thinking about the future.
And can’t wait for something that is an adventure.      

I could improve on believe in myself 

And controlling my temper is hard for me, 

But I know if I try, I’ll be the best I can be.