Democracy Student Packet
CommonLit Reading Series
Name:
Class:
Date:
Democracy
By Britannica Kids • 2022
A democracy is a form of government where citizens hold the power through voting. This article describes how democracies formed and how they have changed throughout history. As you read, take notes on the different types of democracies.
Introduction
[1] The word democracy describes a form of government. The word comes from two Greek words that mean “rule by the people.” In a democracy the people have a say in how the government is run. They do this by voting, though there are usually rules about who can vote.
Democracies are different from dictatorships. In a dictatorship one person, called a dictator, makes all the rules. Many countries have a democratic form of government. They include the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, South Africa, France, Israel, and Japan.
U.S. Capitol
“Untitled” by Andy Feliciotti is licensed under CC0. The Capitol Dome in Washington, D.C.
Types of Democracy
There are two main forms of democracy. In a direct democracy all the voters come together in one place to make laws and decisions. Often there are too many people for a direct democracy to work.
In those cases the people elect1 representatives, or other people to speak for them. This is called a representative democracy. The elected representatives make the laws and decisions.
History
The first democracies were in ancient Greece more than 2,000 years ago. Those did not last long, however. After that, kings and other rulers had all the power in their lands. In about the 1200s, however, some rulers began to allow certain citizens to be part of the government.
By the 1600s and 1700s some people began to think that all people had certain rights. These included the right to participate in their government. In the British colonies of North America the colonists felt that the king did not allow them to participate enough.
Quick Think Why might ancient Greek democracy have worked as a direct democracy, while larger modern nations rely on elected representatives?
1. Elect (verb) to choose by voting
Page 1 • Document continues on back
Democracy • Britannica Kids CommonLit Comprehension Packet
The Birth of Republics
They fought a war to gain their freedom. When they won the war, they established2 the United States as a republic.
[5] A republic is a form of democracy in which the citizens vote for the people who make the laws. They also vote for the leader of the country, who is often a president. Many other countries became republics as well.
Constitutional Monarchies
Other countries kept their kings or queens but still became democracies. Monarchies3 with democracy are called constitutional monarchies.
The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. In such countries the people vote for representatives. The king or queen is the head of the country, but he or she has little real power.
2. Establish (verb) to start or make something • 3. Monarchy: countries ruled by kings or queens
By courtesy of Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., copyright 2022; used with permission. CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Part 1: Text-Dependent Questions
Choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.
1. Which statement best summarizes the passage?
A Democracies have stayed the same since the British controlled the North American colonies. B Democracies have stayed the same since they began in ancient Greece. C Democracies have changed over time to give power to the voters. D Democracies have changed over time to give power to leaders.
2. Which statement shows that democracies have changed over time?
A “The word democracy describes a form of government.” (Paragraph 1) B “Many countries have a democratic form of government.” (Paragraph 1) C “In a direct democracy all the voters come together in one place to make laws and decisions.” (Paragraph 2) D “In about the 1200s, however, some rulers began to allow certain citizens to be part of the government.” (Paragraph 3)
Democracy • Reading Comprehension Page 2
Democracy • Text-Dependent Questions CommonLit Comprehension Packet
3. What is the meaning of the word “participate” as it is used in paragraph 4?
A to be a part of something B to raise your hand C to make the rules D to play a sport
4. How is “Democracy” organized?
A The author describes dictatorships and argues that they are better than democracies. B The author describes what a republic is and then explains the problems with democracies. C The author describes how democracies formed and then gives a solution to make them better. D The author describes what a democracy is and then explains how different democracies formed.
5. Describe the different types of democracies.
Short Written Response
Tip: In your response, clearly identify at least two types of democracies discussed in the article (such as direct democracy, representative democracy, republics, or constitutional monarchies) and explain how citizens participate in each.
Democracy • Reading Comprehension Page 3 • Discussion Questions on back
Discussion Questions
Class Discussion & Seminar Prep
Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared to share your original ideas in a class discussion.
1
Direct Democracy in Action
The section “Types of Democracy” describes how there can be too many people for a direct democracy to work well. Have you ever been in a situation where too many people were trying to vote on something? Maybe this happened when your friends or family were trying to make a decision about something. What happened? How did you feel? If not, imagine if 200 people were trying to vote on what to eat for dinner. What would it be like? How would you feel? What could be a solution for a problem like this?
Your Brainstorm & Notes:
2
Constitutional Monarchies
This article explains how some countries have become constitutional monarchies and keep their kings and queens as heads of the country, but they do not have much power. Why do you think some countries choose to have this type of government? What would happen if a country decided to get rid of the title of king and queen? How do you think the king and queen would react? If you were a king or queen, how would you react in that situation? Why?
Your Brainstorm & Notes:
3
Rule by the People vs. No Say
This article explains that democracy means “rule by the people.” What would it be like if the citizens of a government did not have any say in decisions and did not get to vote for laws and important leaders? How would the citizens feel? Why? Who would be in charge? How would people decide who is in charge?
How Citizens Would Feel & Why:
Who Holds Power & Decision-Making:
Democracy • Discussion & Seminar Page 4 (End of Packet)
