MTEL Communication Literacy Skills : Writing Practice Test

How should systems of government be capitalized?

1. They should always be capitalized.

2. Only the first word should be capitalized.

3. They should be written in all lowercase.

4. Only proper nouns within the term should be capitalized.

The correct answer is: They should be written in all lowercase.

The correct understanding of how systems of government should be capitalized is based on standard conventions in English grammar. Generally, the names of specific governmental systems, such as "democracy" or "republic," are not capitalized unless they are part of a formal title or are used in a specific way that warrants capitalization. For example, you would write "the democratic system" or "the republic," but would capitalize terms like "Republic" or "Democracy" when used in the context of a formal title, such as "Democracy in America." Given this, lowercase usage is appropriate for general references to systems of government, aligning with the principles of treating them like common nouns rather than unique entities, which would require capitalization. This nuanced understanding of capitalization in relation to government systems is crucial for effective writing that adheres to standard grammatical practices.