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Democracy vs Dictatorship Roleplay

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Democracy vs Dictatorship Roleplay

Read the scenario and evidence. Then take the role of a resident, journalist, or decision-maker and judge how power is used. This is a fictional case study: real democracies and dictatorships vary, and no system should be assessed from one feature alone.

Scenario: The island of Koru

Koru has 12,000 residents and one elected assembly. A severe storm has damaged the harbour, and residents must decide how to spend a limited recovery fund. Two proposals are being debated: repair the harbour first, or build an inland evacuation shelter. The current government has announced that a public decision will be made within a month.

Evidence cards

Compare how decisions are made in two possible versions of Koru. These are simplified fictional models, not descriptions of every country.

Koru A: Residents vote in regular, competitive elections. Several parties can stand. Journalists may criticise the assembly. Courts can review whether official decisions follow the law. Residents can organise peaceful meetings.

Koru B: The leader decides who may stand for office, and elections do not offer a genuine choice. State media praises the leader; criticism may be punished. Courts answer to the leader. Public meetings need official permission.

Role-play briefing

Choose a role: a harbour worker, a family living inland, a local journalist, or an assembly member. Apply your chosen role to both Koru A and Koru B. For each situation, consider what your character wants, what information they can share, and how they can influence the recovery decision. Keep the role-play respectful; you are analysing institutions, not performing harm.

1.Match each feature to the Koru model where it is described: competitive elections; courts independent of the leader; criticism can be punished; several parties may stand.

Competitive elections
Courts independent of the leader
Criticism can be punished
Several parties may stand

Koru A
Koru A
Koru B
Koru A

2.In which model can residents most directly replace leaders through a genuine election? Explain which evidence supports your answer.

3.Your role is local journalist. Write one question you would ask at a Koru A public meeting about the recovery fund, and one likely obstacle to asking the same question publicly in Koru B.

4.A leader says, “We can act faster if nobody challenges our recovery plan.” Which democratic safeguard in Koru A could question this claim, and why might it matter?

5.True or false: Having an election automatically means a country is democratic. Use one detail from the evidence cards to justify your answer.

TrueFalse

6.Complete the comparison: In Koru A, residents can influence a decision by . In Koru B, this is harder because .

7.As the harbour worker, make a 20-second role-play statement supporting one recovery option. Then name one way your character could try to persuade decision-makers in each Koru.

8.Why might independent courts matter when a government makes an unpopular decision? Answer using the evidence about Koru A or Koru B.

9.Choose the strongest conclusion supported by the evidence.

Koru A guarantees every resident will agree with every decision.
Koru B gives residents more ways to challenge the leader.
Koru A offers more routes for residents to take part and scrutinise decisions.
A fast decision is always fairer than a debated decision.

10.Write a short comparison of Koru A and Koru B. Include one difference in how leaders gain power, one difference in how people can express disagreement, and one limitation of making a quick judgement from this brief case study.