Government
Autocracy
A government in which one person holds power; also known as "authoritarian" or "absolutist." The ruler most often gains power through inheritance (handed down through family) or through military force. Decisions are ultimately made for the state or country by the ruler himself or herself.
Democracy
Democratic refers to government by the people—of one person, one vote—rather than the rule of a single individual (autocracy) or a small group (oligarchy). FYI: The democratic tradition finds its roots in ancient Greece and Rome. However, modern democracy did not establish itself until the American Revolution..
Absolute Monarchy
A system of government in which a king, queen, or emperor maintains complete control over the government. Power is handed down through families and often single families would rule for many generations (for example, the Tudors in England). Further, many monarchs viewed themselves as divinely placed upon the throne; meaning: god wanted that individual to rule his/her people and it was their divine right to rule the state as they saw fit. Today, Saudi Arabia is ruled by an absolute monarchy.
Totalitarian Dictatorship
A system of government in which all social, political, economic, intellectual, cultural, and spiritual activities are subordinated to the purposes of the rulers of a state; people are made utterly dependent on the wishes and whims of a political party and its leaders.
Theocracy
A theocracy is a country in which control is in the hands of the religious leaders.
Oligarchy
An oligarchy is a small group of "elite" citizens that rules a country. Their "elite" status is dictated through wealth, family, or social status. Oligarchs usually make decisions based on their own interests rather than for the general good. FYI: Throughout history, many regions, city-states, and countries have been ruled by oligarchic governments.
Republic
It is a government system where it is ran by leaders who have been elected, rather than a group of leaders who have been placed in those spots because of bloodline and military.
Constitutional Monarchy
Most monarchies today are constitutional or "limited" monarchies. The king, queen, or emperor remains the head of state, but their powers are limited by a constitution. Laws and legal matters in these countries are determined by a legislators or members of parliament who are elected by the people. The king, queen, and emperor act primarily as a symbol of the past and tradition. Sweden and Great Britain are examples of constitutional monarchies.
Represenative Democracy
Representative (or indirect) Democracy - In modern democratic states, representatives are voted for by, and are ultimately accountable to, the electorate (citizens). A number of representatives are elected by, and responsible to, a particular subset of the total electorate: this is called his or her constituency. The representatives form an independent ruling body - the legislature (congress in the United States and Parliament Great Britain) - which is responsible for acting in the people's interest, with enough authority to exercise swift and resolute initiative in the face of changing circumstances. The usa is mostly a representative democracy
Communism
a concept or system of society in which the major resources and means of production are owned by the community rather than by individuals.
Direct Democracy
a form of government that is said to be by the people, but also for the people. It is a type of government that the people will make decisions for themselves rather than have decisions made for them by representatives. Another term used to describe Direct Democracy is pure democracy or "true" democracy. At the local level in both Switzerland and in some U.S. states, citizens participate in direct democracy: the powers of referendum (accept or reject a proposal); initiative (the people desire the creation, modification, or removal of a law and want to bring it to a vote of the people); and recall (the power to remove an elected official from office before his/her term ends).
