In Brief:
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Each government is unique, but governments can be grouped into categories according to 3 sets of characteristics. •
Democratic governments rely on the participation of the people, while dictatorships concentrate power in the hands of a few. •
The distribution of power between local governments & a central government determines whether a government is unitary, federal, or confederate. •
Presidential governments divide power among several branches of government, while parliamentary governments focus power in one dominant branch.
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