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Year 11

How does government work in a non-democratic nation?

I can explain how governments work in non-democratic nations.

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Year 11

How does government work in a non-democratic nation?

I can explain how governments work in non-democratic nations.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Non-democratic nations limit citizen participation and centralise power with a single leader or ruling party.
  2. Non-democratic countries include China, North Korea, and Saudi Arabia.

Keywords

  • 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)

  • Authoritarian regime - a system of government where leaders have complete control and people are expected to obey without question, often limiting individual freedoms

Common misconception

Non-democratic governments are lawless.

Non-democratic governments still have laws and rules but the citizens might not get a say in what these are and they are decided by those in power.


To help you plan your year 11 citizenship lesson on: How does government work in a non-democratic nation?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Governments change and evolve over time, so always check before delivering this lesson to find out if there have been any changes to the Governments when giving examples from specific countries.
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Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
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Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is the Democracy Index used to measure?
the number of political parties in a country
Correct answer: the quality of democracy in countries around the world
the economic success of a country
the population size of countries
Q2.
In non-democratic regimes, political freedoms are often ...
Correct Answer: limited, restricted, denied, withheld, reduced
Q3.
Which aspect of a country's democracy does the Democracy Index measure under the category of 'functioning of government'?
the country’s economic performance
Correct answer: the effectiveness of the political system in creating new laws and policies
the level of political participation by citizens
the presence of political parties
Q4.
In the Democracy Index, which of the following situations would most likely indicate a ‘flawed democracy’?
a high level of political participation and a free press
a political system that regularly shuts down protests and suppresses free speech
Correct answer: a country with a fair electoral process but weak political institutions
a strong separation of powers and an active judiciary
Q5.
Match each country to its corresponding Democracy Index category.
Correct Answer:North Korea,authoritarian regime
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authoritarian regime

Correct Answer:Turkey,hybrid regime
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hybrid regime

Correct Answer:USA,flawed democracy
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flawed democracy

Q6.
How would you expect the Democracy Index to classify a country with a high level of political participation and a fair electoral process?
hybrid regime
Correct answer: full democracy
good democracy
outstanding democracy

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the country to its political system.
Correct Answer:Saudi Arabia,absolute monarchy
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absolute monarchy

Correct Answer:China,one-party state
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one-party state

Correct Answer:Iran,authoritarian regime
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authoritarian regime

Correct Answer:North Korea,dictatorship
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dictatorship

Q2.
Rank the order of categories in the Democracy Index, from the most democratic to least democratic.
1 - full democracy
2 - flawed democracy
3 - hybrid regime
4 - non-democratic government
5 - authoritarian regime
Q3.
Which of these features might not be seen in a non-democratic government?
Correct answer: an independent judiciary that can challenge the Government
government control over media and information
low turnout for elections
restrictions on gathering in public to protest
Q4.
Absolute monarchies are often , meaning that power is maintained within one family over time.
Correct Answer: hereditary
Q5.
Why are one-party states undemocratic?
Correct answer: Only one group controls the Government, restricting political choice.
Citizens have the freedom to form and join any political party they wish.
The ruling party frequently changes based on public elections.
Coalitions are banned from running the country, so citizens' votes are wasted.
Q6.
How might a non-democratic country maintain political control?
Correct answer: by using propaganda to influence the views of its citizens
by decentralising power to local governments
by encouraging free and open public debates
by enforcing free speech for all citizens