Aristotle was the first to define three principal types of government systems in the fourth century B.C. These consisted ofmonarchy, aristocracy and polity. Since then, many more have been formulated, but the main themes and ideas have remained. Today, the five most common government systems include democracy, republic, monarchy, communism anddictatorship. This list details what to know about each.
Five Types of Government Systems
- Democracy
A democracy can be defined as a government system with supreme power placed in the hands of the people. It can be traced back to as early as the fifth century B.C. In fact, the word democracy is Greek for “people power”. While most use the United States as an example of a democratic government system, the United States actually has what is called a representative democracy. The difference lies in the method of civilian participation. In a direct democracy, every citizen is given an equal say in the government. In a representative democracy, citizens elect representatives who make the law. The difference is significant when put into action. Other examples of democratic states include Aruba, Bulgaria, Canada, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. - Republic
In a republic government system, the power also rests with the people, as they are in charge of electing or choosing the country’s leader, instead of the leader being appointed or inheriting power. Broadly defined, a republic is a government system without a monarch. A republic may be governed by a group of nobles, as long as there is not a single monarch. Some examples of countries with a republic government system includeArgentina, Bolivia, Czech Republic and France. - Monarchy
In a monarchy, state power is held by a single family that inherits rule from one generation to the next. In a monarchy, an individual from the royal family holds the position of power until they die. Today, the majority of monarchy governments have transitioned to constitutional monarchies, where the monarch is head of state but only performs ceremonial roles and does not have state power. Only a few countries still have systems where the monarch retains control; these include Brunei, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Swaziland. - Communism
A communist government system is usually based on a particular ideology of communism taught by Karl Marx or Vladimir Lenin. A single party or group of people usually runs communist states. In some cases, citizens of a communist state are given certain jobs or life duties in an effort to obtain collective citizenship for the state. Examples of communist states include China, Cuba and Vietnam. - Dictatorship
In a dictatorship, a single person, a dictator, has absolute power over the state. It is not necessarily ruled by a theology or belief. It is an authoritarian form of government where one person is in charge of enforcing and enacting the law. Aspects often include military organizational backing, unfair elections (if any) and various human rights violations. A dictator does not usually inherit their power like a monarch does; they either seize control of the state by force or through (usually unfair) elections. Dictators are not held accountable for their actions and thus are free to do as they please, including limiting citizens’ rights. Burundi, Chad, Equatorial Guinea and North Korea are contemporary examples of countries run by a dictator.
While these types of government systems all vary, they have at least one similarity: the allocation of power. Whether it be the allocation of power to a single person, a group of people, or evenly distributed to everyone, power is the shared theme of all types of government systems.
– Haley Hine
Photo: Flickr
FAQs
Basic forms of governments
| Democratic | Direct Democracy, Representative Democracy (Republic Government, Parliamentary Government), Constitutional monarchy |
|---|
| Non-Democratic | Authoritarian, Totalitarian, Oligarchy, Technocracy, Theocracy, Dictatorship, Absolute monarchy |
| Other Types | Communist, Colonialist, Aristocratic |
A monarchy is a ruling system where the monarch, a king or queen, is the head of the government, and s dictatorship is the rule by single person who has authoritarian control.
What are the 4 main forms of government seen throughout history? ›
The main types of modern political systems recognized are democracies, totalitarian regimes, and, sitting between these two, authoritarian regimes with a variety of hybrid regimes. Modern classification system also include monarchies as a standalone entity or as a hybrid system of the main three.
What are the 5 most common types of government? ›
This lesson will discuss and differentiate between the five main forms of power, or government, utilized in past and present societies: monarchy, democracy, oligarchy, authoritarianism, and totalitarianism.
What are the 3 systems of government and briefly explain them? ›
Our federal government has three parts. They are the Executive, (President and about 5,000,000 workers) Legislative (Senate and House of Representatives) and Judicial (Supreme Court and lower Courts). The President of the United States administers the Executive Branch of our government.
What are the three 3 main components of government? ›
To ensure a separation of powers, the U.S. Federal Government is made up of three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. To ensure the government is effective and citizens' rights are protected, each branch has its own powers and responsibilities, including working with the other branches.
What is a democracy government? ›
Democracy (from Ancient Greek: δημοκρατία, romanized: dēmokratía, dēmos 'people' and kratos 'rule') is a system of government in which state power is vested in the people or the general population of a state.
What type of democracy is monarchy? ›
Constitutional monarchy, also known as limited monarchy, parliamentary monarchy or democratic monarchy, is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in making decisions.
What is monarchy and democracy? ›
When a country is ruled by a Government elected by its people through elections, then it is called a Democracy. When a country is ruled by Kings and Queens, when the right to rule a country is passed through a dynasty and not through elections, it is called a monarchy.
Is the United States a democracy or Republican? ›
The Constitution establishes a federal democratic republic form of government. That is, we have an indivisible union of 50 sovereign States.
Some of the different types of government include a direct democracy, a representative democracy, socialism, communism, a monarchy, an oligarchy, and an autocracy. Help your students understand the different forms of government with these classroom resources.
What is it called when the government controls everything? ›
Totalitarianism is a political system and a form of government that prohibits opposition political parties, disregards and outlaws the political claims of individual and group opposition to the state, and controls the public sphere and the private sphere of society.
What is the oldest form of government? ›
In monarchy, the government is usually headed by a single person called a king or, sometimes, a queen. When the king or queen dies, the son, daughter or a relative takes over the government. A commoner cannot become a king. It is the oldest form of government.
What type of democracy is Russia? ›
The 1993 constitution declares Russia a democratic, federative, law-based state with a republican form of government. State power is divided among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
Can a republic be a dictatorship? ›
Dictatorships in the Middle East and Northern Africa are either illiberal republics in which a president holds power through unfair elections, or they are absolute monarchies in which power is inherited.
What is the 3 types of government? ›
Learn about the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the U.S. government. The Constitution of the United States divides the federal government into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. This ensures that no individual or group will have too much power.
What are the 3 types of political systems? ›
The main types of political systems recognized are democracies, totalitarian regimes and, sitting between these two, authoritarian regimes with a variety of hybrid regimes. Modern classification system also include monarchies as a standalone entity or as a hybrid system of the main three.
What is the function of the 3 types of government? ›
The Legislative Branch to make the laws. Congress is made up of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Executive Branch to enforce the laws. The Judicial Branch to interpret the laws.
What are the 3 ways governments can be categorized? ›
The three ways in which governments can be categorized are as follows:
- Democracy.
- Monarchy.
- Dictatorship.
