Types of government

Types of GovernmentMr. Palmer / Civics

Autocracy One person has all the power

Two main types of autocracies:

1. Monarchy

2. Dictatorship (Absolute Monarchy)

Monarchy- King or queen resides as the Head of State

- Can be hereditary or elected

- In historical times, monarchs held all the power

- In modern times, they typically share the power with other bodies of government

- Allow them to separate sovereign’s ceremonial duties with party politics

- Provides stability and continuity, as the sovereign remains the same even as governments change

- Sovereign governs according to a country’s constitution and remains politically neutral

Famous Monarchs

Queen Elizabeth II Emperor Akihito King Felipe VI

Dictatorship (Absolute Monarchy)

- One leader has absolute control over everything including citizen’s lives

- If there is a constitution, dictator has control over that too

- Other bodies of government do what the dictator tells them to

- They do not represent the citizens

- Typically not elected and may have used force to gain control

Famous Dictators

Ho Chi Minh Adolf Hitler Kim Jong-Un

Democracy Citizens hold the political power

Two main types of democracy:

1. Representative Democracy

2. Direct Democracy

Representative Democracy- Citizens elect leaders to represent their rights and interests in

government

- Directly involved in the day-to-day work of governing the country:- Consider issues- Find solutions- Pass laws

- Might be required to participate in law making procedures or act as judges (jury duty)

- Citizens hold the ultimate power

- If they don’t like their current representatives, they can vote in new ones

Examples

Canada

United States United Kingdom

Direct Democracy- No representatives

- Citizens have more power in the day-to-day governing of the country; such as creating laws and voting

- Most modern countries are too large for a direct democracy to work

- Most notable example would be Ancient Athens

- We also see traces of direct democracy present within the United States

Oligarchy- Small group of people has all the power

- Greek word that means “rule by few”

- Elite group ruling in their own interests

- Small group may be distinguished by royalty, wealth, family ties, education, military control, etc.

- Sometimes only certain political groups have rights, such as members of one political party, one social class or one race

- Example: Junta – small group of people (usually military officers) who rule a country after taking it over by force

- Similar to a dictatorship, except that multiple people share power

Examples

North Korea

Russia

Theocracy- Government that recognizes God or a divine being as the

ultimate authority

- Religious law is used to settle disputes and rule the people

- A theocracy can be classified as almost any other type of government (democracy, monarchy, dictatorship, etc.)- Example: Republic of Iran recognizes Islamic Law, however, its

citizens elect their leaders

- Modern theocracies are usually found in countries that are strongly religious

Examples

Iran – Islamic Theocracy

Vatican City – Catholic Theocracy

Anarchy The absence of government

Nobody is in control, or everybody is

Depends on how you look at it