Types of Governments

Anarchy
• A condition of lawlessness or political disorder
brought about by the absence of
governmental authority.

• This can be a natural, temporary result of civil

war in a country, when an established state
has been destroyed and the region is in a
transitional period without definitive
leadership.
 Authoritarian
• A form of government in which state authority
is imposed onto many aspects of citizens'
lives.
 Commonwealth
• A nation, state or other political entity
founded on law and united by a compact of
the people for the common good.
 Communist
• A system of government in which the state
plans and controls the economy and a single --
often authoritarian -- party holds power; state
controls are imposed with the elimination of
private ownership of property or capital while
claiming to make progress toward a higher
social order in which all goods are equally
shared by the people (i.e., a classless society).
 Confederacy (Confederation)
• A union by compact or treaty between states,
provinces or territories that creates a central
government with limited powers; the constituent
entities retain supreme authority over all matters
except those delegated to the central government.

• Confederations of states tend to be established for

dealing with critical issues, such as defense, foreign
relations, internal trade or currency, with the general
government being required to provide support for all
its members.
 Constitutional
• A government by or operating under an
authoritative document (constitution) that
sets forth the system of fundamental laws and
principles that determines the nature,
functions and limits of that government.

• A constitution is normally used so the people

of that government has civil and ethical rights.
 Democracy
• A form of government in which the supreme
power is retained by the people, but which is
usually exercised indirectly through a system of
representation and delegated authority
periodically renewed through elections.

• Democracy, meaning "rule of the people", is a

system of government in which the citizens
exercise power directly or elect representatives
from among themselves to form a governing
body, such as a parliament.
 Parliamentary democracy
• A political system in which the legislature (parliament)
selects the government - a prime minister, premier or
chancellor along with the cabinet ministers - according
to party strength as expressed in elections.
• In this system, the government acquires a dual
responsibility: to the people as well as to the
parliament.
• This type of government can be dissolved at will by the
parliament (legislature) by means of a no-confidence
vote or the leader of the cabinet may dissolve the
parliament if it can no longer function.
 Republic
• A representative democracy in which the
people's elected deputies (representatives),
not the people themselves, vote on legislation.

• The primary positions of power within a

republic are not inherited, but are attained
through elections expressing the consent of the
governed.
 Democratic republic
• A state in which the supreme power rests in the
body of citizens entitled to vote for officers and
representatives responsible to them.

• There is no restriction on which laws are passed

so long as they have majority support.
Constitutional law is either non-existent or
poses little obstacle to legislation.
 Federal (Federation)
• A form of government in which sovereign power
is formally divided -- usually by means of a
constitution -- between a central authority and a
number of constituent regions (states, colonies or
provinces) so that each region retains some
management of its internal affairs.

• It differs from a confederacy in that the central

government exerts influence directly upon both
individuals as well as upon the regional units.
 Federal republic
• A state in which the powers of the central
government are restricted and in which the
component parts (states, colonies, or provinces)
retain a degree of self-government.

• Ultimate sovereign power rests with the voters

who chose their governmental representatives.
 Islamic republic
• A particular form of government adopted by
some Muslim states; although such a state is, in
theory, a theocracy, it remains a republic, but
its laws are required to be compatible with the
laws of Islam.

• Examples include Afghanistan, Iran, Mauritania,

and Pakistan
 Presidential System

• A system of government where the executive

branch exists separately from a legislature (to
which it is generally not accountable). The
head of government is in most cases also the
head of state.
 Monarchy
• A government in which the supreme power is lodged in
the hands of a monarch who reigns over a state or
territory, usually for life and by hereditary right; the
monarch may be either a sole absolute ruler or a
sovereign - such as a king, queen or prince - with
constitutionally limited authority.

• For example, in some elected monarchies only pedigrees

are taken into account for eligibility of the next ruler,
whereas many hereditary monarchies impose
requirements regarding the religion, age, gender and
mental capacity, etc.
 Sultanate
• Similar to a monarchy, a government in which
the supreme power is in the hands of a sultan
(the head of a Muslim state).

• The sultan may be an absolute ruler or a

sovereign with constitutionally limited
authority.
 Emirate
• Similar to a monarchy or sultanate, a
government in which the supreme power is in
the hands of an emir (the ruler of a muslim
state).

• The emir may be an absolute overlord or a

sovereign with constitutionally limited
authority.
 Parliamentary monarchy
• A state headed by a monarch who is not
actively involved in policy formation or
implementation (i.e., the exercise of sovereign
powers by a monarch in a ceremonial
capacity); true governmental leadership is
carried out by a cabinet and its head - a prime
minister, premier or chancellor - who are
drawn from a legislature (parliament).
 Constitutional monarchy
• A system of government in which a monarch is
guided by a constitution whereby his/her
rights, duties, and responsibilities are spelled
out in written law or by custom.

• Many modern developed countries, including

the United Kingdom, Norway, Netherlands,
Australia, Canada, Spain and Japan, are
constitutional monarchy systems.
 Oligarchy
• A government in which control is exercised by a
small group of individuals whose authority
generally is based on nobility, wealth, family ties,
education or corporate, religious or military
control.

• Such states are often controlled by families who

typically pass their influence from one generation
to the next, but inheritance is not a necessary
condition for the application of this term.
 Dictatorship
• A form of government in which a ruler or small
clique wield absolute power (not restricted by a
constitution or laws).

• After World War II, many governments in Latin

America, Asia, and Africa were ruled by autocratic
governments. Examples of dictators include:
Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Idi Amin, Muammar
Gaddafi (Libya), and Gamal Abdul Nasser.
 Maoism
• The theory and practice of Marxism-Leninism
developed in China by Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-
tung), which states that a continuous revolution
is necessary if the leaders of a communist state
are to keep in touch with the people.

• Marxist-Leninist rulership include Cuba, Laos,

Vietnam, and the People’s Republic of China.
Each of these nations adopted this form of
government at the height of the Cold War —
between the 1940s and 1960s.
 Marxism
• The political, economic and social principles
espoused by 19th century economist Karl Marx.
• He viewed the struggle of workers as a
progression of historical forces that would
proceed from a class struggle of the proletariat
(workers) exploited by capitalists (business
owners), to a socialist "dictatorship of the
proletariat," to, finally, a classless society --
Communism.
 Socialism
• A government in which the means of planning,
producing and distributing goods is controlled by a
central government that theoretically seeks a more
just and equitable distribution of property and labor;
in actuality, most socialist governments have ended
up being no more than dictatorships over workers by
a ruling elite.
• The economic framework may be decentralized and
self-managed in autonomous economic units, as in
libertarian systems, or centrally planned, as in
authoritarian systems.
• Public services such as healthcare and education
would be commonly, collectively, and/or state owned.
 Totalitarian
• A government that seeks to subordinate the
individual to the state by controlling not only
all political and economic matters, but also
the attitudes, values and beliefs of its
population.

• A system based on a small complex society of

varying degrees of centralization that is led by
an individual known as a chief.
 Theocracy
• A form of government in which a deity is
recognized as the supreme civil ruler; the
deity's laws are interpreted by ecclesiastical
authorities (bishops, mullahs, etc.).
• A government subject to religious authority.
• The Vatican city's (pope), Iran's (supreme
leader), caliphates and other Islamic states are
historically considered theocracies.