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Absolute monarchy - a form of government where the monarch rules unhindered, i.e., without
any laws, constitution or legally organized opposition.
Anarchy - a condition of lawlessness or political disorder brought about by the absence of
governmental authority.
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.
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.
Constitutional democracy - a form of government in which the sovereign power of the people
is spelled out in a governing constitution.
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.
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.
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.
Dictatorship - a form of government in which a ruler or small clique wield absolute power (not
restricted by a constitution or laws).
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; by this system, the government acquires a
dual responsibility: to the people as well as to the parliament.
Parliamentary government (Cabinet-Parliamentary government) - a government in which
members of an executive branch (the cabinet and its leader - a prime minister, premier or
chancellor) are nominated to their positions by a legislature or parliament, and are directly
responsible to it; 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.
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).
Presidential - a system of government where the executive branch exists separately from a
legislature (to which it is generally not accountable).
Republic - a representative democracy in which the people's elected deputies (representatives),
not the people themselves, vote on legislation.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Capitalism
Socialism
Communism
(Russia)
(Norway)
(Cuba)
In a capitalist or free-market
economy, people own their
own businesses and property
and must buy services for
private use, such as
healthcare.
(Iran)
(Jordan)
(Israel)
A form of A
A
governmen monarchy parliamentary
t where
has a king system is led
the rulers or queen, by
claim to be who
representative
ruling on sometimes s of the
behalf of a has
people. Each is
set of
absolute chosen as a
religious
power.
member of a
ideas, or as Power is political party
direct
passed
and remains in
agents of a along
power as long
deity.
through as his/her
the family party does
(USA)
Anarchy
(Afghanistan
?)
A republic is Anarchy is a
led by
situation
representativ where there
es of the
is no
voters. Each government.
is individually
chosen for a This can
set period of happen after
time.
a civil war in
a country,
when a
government
has been
destroyed
and rival
groups are
fighting to
take its
place.
Revolutionary
Totalitarian
Oligarchy/Plutocracy
Democracy
(North Korea)
(Pakistan)
(India)
REMEMBER: nearly every country in the world is ruled by a system that combines 2
or more of these (for example, the USA is not a true capitalist society, since the
government actually provides some services for its citizens). Additionally, one
person's opinion of the type of government may differ from another's (many argue
that the USA is actually a plutocracy rather than a democracy).
Anarchism: A form of government with no ruling hierarchy, instead decisions are made at a
directly democratic level: laws are created by citizens alone, although they may be enforced by
institutions that are not publicly controlled.
Anarchy: Anarchy is lack of a central government, as there is no one recognized governing
authority; in anarchy there is no effective government and each individual has absolute liberty. It
is important to note, however, that the lack of a government to enforce laws does not
automatically imply that there are no laws; anarcho-capitalism in particular posits a form of
anarchy with a body of explicit laws.
Aristocracy: A form of government in which a select few rule based on inherited hereditary
right.
Autocracy: A form of government in which the political power is held by a single, selfappointed ruler.
Communist state: A hypothetical stateless entity that follows after socialism as according
to Marxist theory.
Corporatocracy: A form of government where a corporation, a group of corporations, or
government entities with private components, control the direction and governance of a country.
Demarchy: A hypothetical political system run by randomly selected decision makers who have
been selected by sortition. Think selecting a legislature or executive in the same manner that a
jury is presently selected.
Democracy: Refers to a broad range of types of government based upon the "consent of the
governed." In its purest form it is the same thing as mobocracy, but it is usually practiced in the
form of a republic, which provides checks and balances and an establishment that is able to tap
an unruly mob on its collective head.
Epistemocracy: A utopian type of society and government in which people of rank, including
those holding political office, are those who possess epistemic humility.
Panarchracy: A political philosophy emphasizing each individual's right to freely join and leave
the jurisdiction of any governments they choose, without being forced to move from their current
locale.
Patriarchy: Government by men, or a government which regards male humans as entitled to
rule and to exercise power over women.
Plutocracy: Rule by the wealthy, or power provided by wealth.
Republic: Historical definition: any of a wide variety of non-monarchical governments where
eligibility to rule is determined by law. US definition: power resides in elected individuals
representing the citizen body and government leaders exercise power according to the rule of
law.
Socialist republic or Peoples Republic: A state run by a communist party, or worker
representative democracy, where decisions are typically centrally made, and resources are
distributed by need and produced by ability, where workers, or the Party control the means of
production .
Sociocracy: A system of governance using consent-based decision making among equivalent
individuals and an organizational structure based on cybernetic principles.
Stratocracy: A system of government in which there is no distinction between the military and
the civil power.
Technocracy: A form of government in which engineers, scientists, and other technical experts
are in control of decision making in their respective fields.
Theocracy: A form of government in which a god or deity is recognized as the state's supreme
civil ruler. Since said god or deity is usually absent from decision making, a self-appointed or
elected leader or leaders of the religion of said god or deity will rule instead through personal
interpretation of the laws commanded by the god in that religion's written law.
Theodemocracy: A political system theorized by Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day
Saint movement (Mormons). As the name implies, theo-democracy was meant to be a fusion of
traditional republican democratic rights under the United States Constitution, combined with
theocratic elements.
Timocracy: Either a state where only property owners may participate in government; or a
government where rulers are selected and perpetuated based on the degree of honour they hold
relative to others in their society, peer group or class.