Different Forms of Government

Monarchy

A monarchy is a form of government led by an individual who holds the position for life, having inherited the position, and who passes it on to a relative, usually a son or daughter. In the past, all monarchs held great power and made the all decisions and laws of the country. This is known as absolute monarchy. Today most monarchs act as Head of State, filling a ceremonial role with little or no power regarding the actual governing of the country. A constitutional monarchy is a country which has a written Constitution that sets out the rules for how the country will be governed and the rights and responsibilities of its people, and has a monarch as Head of State.

Republicanism

A republic is a country whose head of government is an elected or chosen president. Sometimes the president is also the head of state, for example the President of the United States. Presidents are usually elected for a specific length of time, called a term of office. In some countries a president may only serve a particular number of terms. A republic may or may not be democratic. In a democratic republic, the people choose their leaders through elections, although in countries where president is a ceremonial role, it may be by government appointment rather than by election. In some undemocratic republics the leaders are chosen by a small number of people and may stay in office for a long time, sometimes without ever being elected or re-elected. In some cases there may be elections, but these may be conducted in corrupt ways, or electors are not given a free choice of who to vote for.

Fascism

Fascism is a form of government usually headed by a dictator. It involves total government control of political, economic, cultural, religious and social activities. Some industries may be owned by individuals, but under government control. This form of government includes extreme patriotism, warlike policies and extreme discrimination against minority groups.

Dictatorship

In a dictatorship, one person, called a Dictator, has absolute power. This differs from totalitarianism in that it is less controlling and not marked by a rigid set of beliefs. Sometimes a country run by dictatorship may be called a republic. Such republics have only one political party and the Dictator makes most government policies and decisions.

Totalitarianism

In a totalitarian society the government holds absolute control over all aspects of the lives of its people. A set of beliefs is imposed on the people, who have to conform or face unpleasant consequences. This form of government came into being in the 1920s and 1920s when the fascist governments of Italy and Nazi Germany came into power.

Democracy

It is a system of government of a country whose leaders have been elected by the people. When elected representatives meet in parliament to make laws, the form of government is a parliamentary democracy

Oligarchy

An oligarchy is a form of government in which only a few wealthy people hold power. A republic may be an oligarchy if just a few people have the right to vote. An example of this was the time of apartheid in South Africa. In most oligarchies, the power of the leadership is supported by the wealthy and the military.