Types of Government Matching Activity for Civics & American Government

This Types of Government Matching Activity for Civics and American Government challenges students to match cut-and-paste definitions and examples to the forms of government (including autocracy, absolute and constitutional monarchy, direct and representative democracy, constitutional republic, oligarchy, theocracy, and anarchy). Students will then illustrate each type of government to demonstrate their comprehension! This is a great way to practice tricky vocabulary words and lock in students’ understanding of the forms of government. Perfect for middle school Civics or Government students!

This resource is compatible with the Florida State Standards for Middle School Civics: SS.7.CG.3.1 Forms of Government, and easily works with other states’ standards, as well! 

This Types of Government Matching Activity for Civics and American Government includes:

✯ The 2-page Types of Government Matching Activity worksheet, in which students will demonstrate their understanding of ten major forms of government by matching cut-and-paste definitions and examples, as well as illustrating, each form of government.

The forms of government include:

• Autocracy
• Absolute Monarchy
• Constitutional Monarchy
• Direct Democracy
• Representative Democracy / Republic
• Constitutional Republic
• Oligarchy
• Theocracy
• Dictatorship
• Anarchy 

✯ Ten simple, easy-to-understand definitions for each form of government. 

Sample Definitions include:

• People elect representatives who rule on their behalf. (Representative Democracy / Republic)
• This single leader rules with total control that is often oppressive and tyrannical. (Dictatorship)
• Representatives are elected by the people, though their power is limited by a constitution. (Constitutional Republic)

✯ Ten example scenarios describing current and historical examples of each form of government in action.

Sample Examples include:

• In Ancient Greece, male citizens voted on all matters of legislation and public policy, shaping their government themselves. (Direct Democracy)
• Before the rise of civilization, early humans lived in hunter-gatherer societies where everyone shared resources without any hierarchies of power. (Anarchy)
• The United States elects representatives (like the President and Congress) to run the government. Their power is limited, however, by the U.S. Constitution. (Constitutional Republic)

✯ Students will also show off their comprehension by providing an illustration demonstrating the main ideas of each type of government! This is a great way to gauge student understanding, and students often find it easier to recall these tricky vocabulary words if they have a visual they can call back to. 

This lesson can make a great addition to an interactive notebook and can be used as a handy study tool for test prep! 

This resource can also be differentiated for students that need extra help or a little more of a challenge! For students who need extra help, put together the matches as a class! For students who need more of a challenge, omit the cut-and-paste answers entirely and have students conduct their own research online or in their textbook, writing in their own definitions and examples! 

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