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Government From , the free encyclopedia Page semi-protected For in linguistics, see Government (linguistics). Part of the series Basic forms of government Power structure Confederal Federal Imperial Unitary Power source Direct Representative others Absolute Constitutional junta Authoritarian Other Politics portal v t e Part of a series on Politics Ballot box Primary topics[show] Political systems[show] Academic disciplines[show] [show] [show] Organs of government[show] Related topics[show] Subseries[show] Politics portal v t e A government is the system by which a or community is governed.[1] In Brit ish English (and that of the Commonwealth of Nations), a government more narrowl y refers to the particular in control of a state at a given time[2]know n in American English as an administration. In American English, government refe rs to the larger system by which any state is organized.[3] Furthermore, governm ent is occasionally used in English as a synonym for . In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of , administrators, and arbitrators. Government is the means by which state policy is enforced, as well as the mechanism for determining the policy of the state. A form of government, or form of state governance, refers to the set of political systems and institutions that make up the organisation of a specif ic government. Government of any kind currently affects every human activity in many important ways. For this reason, political scientists generally argue that government shou ld not be studied by itself; but should be studied along with anthropology, econ omics, history, , science, and sociology. Contents [hide] 1 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Classifying government 1.3 The dialectical forms of government 2 Forms of government by associated attributes 2.1 By elements of where decision-making power is held 2.1.1 Aristarchic attributes 2.1.2 Autocratic attributes 2.1.3 Monarchic attributes 2.1.4 Pejorative attributes 2.2 By elements of who elects the empowered 2.2.1 Authoritarian attributes 2.2.2 Democratic attributes 2.2.3 Oligarchic attributes 2.2.4 Libertarian attributes 2.2.5 Other attributes 2.3 By elements of how power distribution is structured 2.3.1 Republican attributes 2.3.2 attributes 2.3.3 Other power structure attributes 3 Forms of government by other characteristic attributes 3.1 By socio-economic system attributes 3.2 By attributes 3.3 By significant constitutional attributes 3.4 By approach to regional autonomy 3.5 Theoretical and speculative attributes 4 Maps 5 References 6 Bibliography 7 Further Reading 8 External links Political science Etymology From Middle English government,[citation needed] from Old French government[cita tion needed] (French gouvernement), from Latin gubernatio ("management, governme nt"). Government is a compound formed from the Ancient Greek ??ße???? (kubernao, " I steer, drive, guide, pilot") and the Latin -mente, ablative singular of mens (m ind). arch-, prefix derived from the Greek archon, 'rulership', which means "higher in hierarchy".[4] The Greek word ???t?? krátos, 'power', which means "right to lead" is the suffix root in words like aristocrat and democracy. Its mythological per sonification was the god Kratos, a son of Styx. Classifying government In political science, it has long been a goal to create a typology or taxonomy o f polities, as typologies of political systems are not obvious.[5] It is especia lly important in the political science fields of and intern ational relations. On the surface, identifying a form of government appears to be easy, as all gove rnments have an official form. The United States is a , while th e former Soviet Union was a socialist republic. However self-identification is n ot objective, and as Kopstein and Lichbach argue, defining regimes can be tricky .[6] For example, are a defining characteristic of a democracy,[citati on needed] but in practice elections in the former Soviet Union were not "free a nd fair" and took place in a single party state. Thus in many practical classifi cations it would not be considered democratic. Identifying a form of government is also complicated because a large number of p olitical systems originate as socio-economic movements and are then carried into by specific parties naming themselves after those movements; all wi th competing political-. Experience with those movements in power, and the strong ties they may have to particular forms of government, can cause them to be considered as forms of government in themselves. Other complications include general non-consensus or deliberate "distortion or b ias" of reasonable technical definitions to political ideologies and associated forms of governing, due to the nature of politics in the modern era. For example : The meaning of "conservatism" in the United States has little in common with t he way the word's definition is used elsewhere. As Ribuffo (2011) notes, "what A mericans now call conservatism much of the world calls or neoliberali sm.[7] Since the 1950s conservatism in the United States has been chiefly associ ated with the Republican Party. However, during the era of segregation many Sout hern Democrats were conservatives, and they played a key role in the Conservativ e Coalition that controlled Congress from 1937 to 1963."[8] Every country in the world is ruled by a system of governance that combines at l east 2 (or more) of the following attributes (for example, the United States is not a true capitalist society, since the government actually provides social ser vices for its citizens). Additionally, one person's opinion of the type of gover nment may differ from another's (for example, some may argue that the United Sta tes is a plutocracy rather than a democracy since they may believe it is ruled b y the wealthy).[9] There are always shades of gray in any government. Even the m ost liberal limit rival political activity to one extent or another, and even the most tyrannical must organize a broad base of suppor t, so it is very difficult "pigeonholing" every government into narrow categorie s[clarification needed] The dialectical forms of government Main article: Plato's five regimes The Classical Greek philosopher Plato discusses five types of regimes. They are Aristocracy, Timocracy, Oligarchy, Democracy and Tyranny. Plato also assigns a m an to each of these regimes to illustrate what they stand for. The tyrannical ma n would represent Tyranny for example. These five regimes progressively degenera te starting with Aristocracy at the top and Tyranny at the bottom. In Republic, while Plato spends much time having Socrates narrate a conversation about the city he founds with Glaucon and Adeimantus "in speech", the discussio n eventually turns to considering four regimes that exist in reality and tend to degrade successively into each other: timocracy, oligarchy (also called plutocr acy), democracy and tyranny (also called despotism). Forms of government by associated attributes Descriptions of governments can be based on the following attributes: By elements of where decision-making power is held Aristarchic attributes Governments with Aristarchy attributes are traditionally controlled and organise d by a small group of the most-qualified people, with no intervention from the m ost part of society; this small group usually shares some common trait. The oppo site of an Aristarchic government is Kakistocracy. Term Definition Aristocracy Rule by citizens; a system of governance in which a person who rules in an aristocracy is an aristocrat. It has come to mean rule by "the aristocracy" who are people of noble birth. An aristocracy is a government by th e "best" people. A person who rules in an aristocracy is an aristocrat. Aristocr acy is different from nobility, in that nobility means that one bloodline would rule, an aristocracy would mean that a few or many bloodlines would rule, or tha t rulers be chosen in a different manner. Rule by the intelligent; a system of governance where creativity , innovation, intelligence and wisdom are required for those who wish to govern. See Aristocracy of the wise. Kratocracy Rule by the strong; a system of governance where those strong en ough to seize power through physical force, social maneuvering or political cunn ing. The process can mimic darwinian selection. Rule by the meritorious; a system of governance where groups are selected on the basis of people's ability, knowledge in a given area, and contr ibutions to society. Timocracy Rule by honor; a system of governance ruled by honorable citizen s and property owners. Socrates defines a timocracy as a government ruled by peo ple who love honor and are selected according to the degree of honor they hold i n society. This form of timocracy is very similar to meritocracy, in the sense t hat individuals of outstanding character or faculty are placed in the seat of po wer. European- and post-Revolutionary America are historical examples o f this type; the city-state of Sparta provided another real-world model for this form of government. Rule by the educated or technical experts; a system of governanc e where people who are skilled or proficient govern in their respective areas of expertise in technology would be in control of all decision making. Doctors, en gineers, scientists, professionals and technologists who have knowledge, experti se, or skills, would compose the governing body, instead of politicians, busines smen, and economists.[10] In a technocracy, decision makers would be selected ba sed upon how knowledgeable and skillful they are in their field. Autocratic attributes Governments with Autocratic attributes are dominated by one person who has all t he power over the people in a country. The Roman Republic made Dictators to lead during times of war; the Roman dictators only held power for a small time. In m odern times, an Autocrat's rule is not stopped by any rules of law, s, or other social and political institutions. After World War II, many governme nts in Latin America, Asia, and Africa were ruled by autocratic governments. Exa mples of Autocrats include Idi Amin, Muammar Gaddafi, and Gamal Abd ul Nasser. Term Definition Autocracy Rule by one individual, whose decisions are subject to neither e xternal legal restraints nor regularized mechanisms of popular control (except p erhaps for implicit threat). Autocrat needs servants while despot needs slaves. Despotism Rule by a single entity with absolute power. That entity may be an individual, as in an autocracy, or it may be a group,[1] as in an oligarchy. The word despotism means to "rule in the fashion of a despot" and does not neces sarily require a single, or individual, "despot". Despot needs slaves while Auto crat needs servants. Dictatorship Rule by an individual who has full power over the country. The t erm may refer to a system where the dictator came to power, and holds it, purely by force; but it also includes systems where the dictator first came to power l egitimately but then was able to amend the constitution so as to, in effect, gat her all power for themselves.[11] In a , the army is in con trol. Usually, there is little or no attention to public opinion or individual r ights. See also Autocracy and Stratocracy. Rule by leader base only. Focuses heavily on patriotism and national ide ntity. The leader(s) has the power to make things illegal that do not relate to , or increase belief in national pride. They believe their nation is based on commitment to an organic national community where its citizens are unit ed together as one people through a national identity. It exalts nation and race above the individual and stands for severe economic and social regimentation, a nd forcible suppression of opposition. Monarchic attributes Governments with Monarchic attributes are ruled by a king/emperor or a queen/emp eress who inherits their position from their family, which is often called the " royal family." There are at two opposing types of : absolute monarchie s and constitutional monarchies. In an , the ruler has no limit s on their wishes or powers. In a a ruler's powers are l imited by a document called a constitution. The constitution was put in place to put a check to these powers Term Definition Absolute monarchy Variant of monarchy; a system of governance in which a m onarch exercises ultimate governing authority as and head of gover nment. Constitutional monarchy Variant of monarchy; a system of governance that has a m onarch, but one whose powers are limited by law or by a formal constitution, suc h as that in the United Kingdom[12][13] Variant of monarchy; a system of government in which two individuals, th e diarchs, are the heads of state. In most , the diarchs hold their pos ition for life and pass the responsibilities and power of the position to their children or family when they die. Diarchy is one of the oldest forms of governme nt. In modern usage diarchy means a system of dual rule, whether this be of a go vernment or of an organization. Such 'diarchies' are not hereditary. Elective monarchy Variant of monarchy; a system of governance that has an elected monarch, in contrast to a hereditary monarchy in which the office is aut omatically passed down as a family inheritance. The democratic manner of electio n, the nature of candidate qualifications, and the electors vary from case to ca se. Emirate Similar to a monarchy or sultanate; a system of governance in which the supreme power is in the hands of an emir (the ruler of a Muslim state); the emir may be an absolute overlord or a sovereign with constitutionally limited author ity.[14] Federal monarchy Variant of monarchy; a system of governance where a fede ration of states with a single monarch as over-all head of the , but r etaining different monarchs, or a non-monarchical system of government, in the v arious states joined to the federation. Monarchy Rule by royalty; a system of governance where an individual who has inherited the role and expects to bequeath it to their heir.[15] Pejorative attributes Regardless of the form of government, the actual governance may be influenced by sectors with political power which are not part of the formal government. Certa in actions of the governors, such as corruption, demagoguery, or fear mongering, may disrupt the intended way of working of the government if they are spreaded enough. Term Definition Rule by banks;[16] a system of governance where the excessive po wer or influence of banks and other financial authorities on -makin g. It can also refer to a form of government where financial institutions rule s ociety. Rule by corporations; a system of governance where an economic a nd political system is controlled by corporations or corporate interests.[17] It s use is generally pejorative. Fictional examples include OCP in Robocop Nepotocracy Rule by nephews; favoritism granted to relatives regardless of m erit; a system of governance in which importance is given to the relatives of th ose already in power, like a nephew (where the word comes from). In such governm ents even if the relatives aren't qualified they are given positions of authorit y just because they know someone who already has authority. Pope Alexander VI (B orgia) was accused of this. Kakistocracy Rule by the stupid; a system of governance where the worst or le ast-qualified citizens govern or dictate . Due to human nature being inh erently flawed, it has been suggested that every government which has ever exist ed has been a prime example of kakistocracy. See Idiocracy. () Rule by thieves; a system of governance where it s officials and the ruling class in general pursue personal wealth and political power at the expense of the wider population. In strict terms kleptocracy is no t a form of government but a characteristic of a government engaged in such beha vior. Examples include Mexico as being considered a Narcokleptocracy, since its democratic government is perceived to be corrupted by those who profit from trad e in illegal drugs smuggled into the United States. Ochlocracy Rule by the general populace; a system of governance where mob r ule is government by mob or a mass of people, or the intimidation of legitimate authorities. As a pejorative for , it is akin to the Latin phrase mobile vulgus meaning "the fickle crowd", from which the English term "mob" was originally derived in the 1680s. Ochlocratic governments are often a democracy spoiled by demagoguery, "" and the rule of passion over r eason; such governments can be more oppressive then autocratic-. Ochlocra cy is synonymous in meaning and usage to the modern, informal term "Mobocracy," which emerged from a much more recent colloquial etymology. Phobiocracy Rule by fear and hate;[18] a system of governance where the basi c organizing principles is the use of fear mongering to keep those being ruled i n line; this attribute is preferred tool of control that all forms of government s seemed to have in common over the centuries. What makes this extremely effecti ve is the (unfortunately) common human trait of not trusting people one doesn't know. The most commonly used fear throughout history is fear of "rapacious outsi ders" (i.e. barbarians, communists, terrorists, etc.), who would "rampage over t he homeland if not for the brave military"; the United States has been accused o f "hardliner phobiocratic-policies" which triggered racial segregation and the C old War.[19] Add to this the policy of making the populace fear themselves and/o r the rulers as well; the pattern is to have the ruled be too afraid to resist t he rulers, who were usually local; to manipulate the citizenry into activities d eemed desirable by the rulers, and to divide the populace into small/fearful/ign orant groups; and at the same time fear the possibility of invasion, or at least banditry, even more due to the consequences of noncompliance in the population. Well-informed people are less fearful than those who are ignorant or uneducated ; fear makes people do stupid things. By elements of who elects the empowered Authoritarian attributes [icon] This section requires expansion. (December 2012) Term Definition Authoritarian Rule by authoritarian governments is identified in societies whe re a specific set of people possess the authority of the state in a republic or union. It is a political system controlled by unelected rulers who usually permi t some degree of individual freedom. Totalitarian Rule by a totalitarian government is characterized by a highly c entralized and coercive authority that regulates nearly every aspect of public a nd private life. Democratic attributes Further information: Outline of democracy Governments with Democratic attributes are most common in the Western world and in some countries of the east that have been influenced by western society, ofte n by being colonised by western powers over the course of history. In democracie s, large proportions of the population may vote, either to make decisions or to choose representatives to make decisions. Commonly significant in democracies ar e political parties, which are groups of people with similar ideas about how a c ountry or region should be governed. Different political parties have different ideas about how the government should handle different problems. Term Definition Demarchy Variant of democracy; government in which the state is governed by randomly selected decision makers who have been selected by (lot) f rom a broadly inclusive pool of eligible citizens. These groups, sometimes terme d "policy juries", "citizens' juries", or "consensus conferences", deliberately make decisions about public policies in much the same way that juries decide cri minal cases. Demarchy, in theory, could overcome some of the functional problems of conventio nal , which is widely subject to manipulation by special interests and a division between professional policymakers (politicians and lob byists) vs. a largely passive, uninvolved and often uninformed electorate. Accor ding to Australian philosopher John Burnheim, random selection of policymakers w ould make it easier for everyday citizens to meaningfully participate, and harde r for special interests to corrupt the process. More generally, random selection of decision makers from a larger group is known as sortition (from the Latin base for lottery). The made muc h use of sortition, with nearly all government offices filled by lottery (of ful l citizens) rather than by . Candidates were almost always male, Greek, educated citizens holding a minimum of wealth and status. Democracy Rule by a government chosen by election where most of the popula ce are enfranchised. The key distinction between a democracy and other forms of constitutional government is usually taken to be that the right to vote is not l imited by a person's wealth or race (the main qualification for enfranchisement is usually having reached a certain age). A Democratic government is, therefore, one supported (at least at the time of the election) by a majority of the popul ace (provided the election was held fairly). A "majority" may be defined in diff erent ways. There are many "power-sharing" (usually in countries where people ma inly identify themselves by race or ) or "electoral-college" or "constit uency" systems where the government is not chosen by a simple one-vote-per-perso n headcount. Variant of democracy; government in which the people rep resent themselves and vote directly for new laws and public policy Variant of democracy; a form of government in which repr esentative democracy operates under the principles of liberalism. It is characte rized by fair, free, and competitive elections between multiple distinct politic al parties, a into different branches of government, the ru le of law in everyday life as part of an open society, and the protection of hum an and civil for all persons. To define the system in practice, liberal democracies often draw upon a constitution, either formally written or uncodified, to delineate the powers of government and enshrine the social contra ct. After a period of sustained expansion throughout the 20th century, liberal d emocracy became the predominant political system in the world. A liberal democra cy may take various constitutional forms: it may be a constitutional republic, s uch as , , , Ireland, Italy, or the United States; or a consti tutional monarchy, such as Japan, Spain, or the United Kingdom. It may have a pr esidential system (Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, the United States), a semi-preside ntial system (France, Taiwan), or a (Australia, , Ind ia, New Zealand, Poland, the United Kingdom). Representative democracy Variant of democracy; wherein the people or citi zens of a country elect representatives to create and implement public policy in place of active participation by the people. Variant of democracy; social democracy rejects the "eith er/or" phobiocratic/polarization interpretation of versus . It claims that fostering a progressive evolution of capitalism will gradually re sult in the evolution of capitalist economy into socialist economy. Social democ racy argues that all citizens should be legally entitled to certain social right s. These are made up of universal access to public services such as: , health care, workers' compensation, public transportation, and other services in cluding child care and care for the elderly. Social democracy is connected with the trade union labour movement and supports collective bargaining rights for wo rkers. Contemporary social democracy advocates freedom from discrimination based on differences of: ability/disability, age, ethnicity, sex, gender, language, r ace, religion, sexual orientation, and social class. Variant of democracy; refers to a system of government i n which lawfully elected representatives maintain the integrity of a nation stat e whose citizens, while granted the right to vote, have little or no participati on in the decision-making process of the government. Oligarchic attributes Governments with Oligarchic attributes are ruled by a small group of segregated, powerful and/or influential people, who usually share similar interests and/or family relations. These people may spread power and elect candidates equally or not equally. An oligarchy is different from a true democracy because very few pe ople are given the chance to change things. An oligarchy does not have to be her editary or monarchic. An oligarchy does not have one clear ruler, but several ru lers. Some historical examples of oligarchy are the former Union of Soviet Socialist R epublics. Some critics of representative democracy think of the United States as an oligarchy. The Athenian democracy used sortition to elect candidates; were a lmost always male, white, Greek, educated citizens holding a minimum of land, we alth and status. Term Definition Rule by the , the workers, or the working class. Exam ples of ergatocracy include communist revolutionaries and rebels which control m ost of society and create an alternative economy for people and workers. See Dic tatorship of the proletariat.[clarification needed] Kritarchy Rule by judges; a system of governance composed of law enforceme nt institutions in which the state and the legal systems are traditionally and/o r constitutionally the same entity. Kritarchic judges, magistrates and other adj udicators have the legal power to legislate and administrate the enforcement of government laws, in addition to the interposition of laws and the resolution of disputes. (Not to be confused with "" or "judicial system".) , r uled by judges with the tradition of ,[20] as well as the Islamic Courts Uni on, is a historical example.[citation needed] Rule by social connections; a term invented by the editorial boa rd of the American technology magazine Wired in the early 1990s. A portmanteau o f Internet and aristocracy, netocracy refers to a perceived global upper-class t hat bases its power on a technological advantage and networking skills, in compa rison to what is portrayed as a of a gradually diminishing importanc e. The netocracy concept has been compared with Richard Florida's concept of the . Bard and Söderqvist have also defined an under-class in oppositio n to the netocracy, which they refer to as the consumtariat. Oligarchy Rule by a system of governance with small group of people who sh are similar interests or family relations.[21] Plutocracy Rule by the rich; a system of governance composed of the wealthy class. Any of the forms of government listed here can be plutocracy. For instan ce, if all of the voted representatives in a republic are wealthy, then it is a republic and a plutocracy.[22] Stratocracy Rule by military service; a system of governance composed of mil itary government in which the state and the military are traditionally and/or co nstitutionally the same entity. Citizens with mandatory or voluntary active mili tary service, or who have been honorably discharged, have the right to govern. ( Not to be confused with "" or "military dictatorship".) The Sparta n city-state is a historical example; its social system and constitution, were c ompletely focused on military training and excellence. Stratocratic oft en attaches to the honor-oriented Timocracy. Theocracy Rule by a religious elite; a system of governance composed of re ligious institutions in which the state and the church are traditionally and/or constitutionally the same entity. Citizens who are clergy have the right to gove rn.[23] The Vatican's (see Pope) and the Tibetan government's (see Dalai Lama) a re historically considered . Libertarian attributes There is no consensus on the precise definition of . The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy defines libertarianism as the moral view that agents initially fully own themselves and have certain moral powers to acquire property rights in external things. George Woodcock, author of a history of libertariani sm, defines it as the philosophy that fundamentally doubts authority and advocat es transforming society by reform or revolution. Libertarian philosopher Roderic k Long defines libertarianism as "any political position that advocates a radica l redistribution of power from the coercive state to voluntary associations of f ree individuals", whether "voluntary association" takes the form of the free mar ket or of communal co-operatives.[3] According to the U.S. Libertarian Party, li bertarianism is the advocacy of a government that is funded voluntarily and limi ted to protecting individuals from coercion and violence. [icon] This section requires expansion. (December 2012) Term Definition Libertarian Advocates minimizing coercion and emphasizing freedom, , and voluntary association. Libertarians generally promote a society with signifi cantly less government than the present day. Libertarian socialism Variant of democracy; government ruled by a non-hierarch ical, non-bureaucratic society without private property in the means of producti on. Libertarian socialists believe in converting present-day private productive property into common or public goods, while retaining respect for personal prope rty. Libertarian socialism is opposed to coercive forms of social organization. It promotes and free association in place of government or , and opposes the social relations of capitalism, such as wage labor. The term l ibertarian socialism is used by some socialists to differentiate their philosoph y from , and by some as a synonym for left . Other attributes Term Definition Anarchy Anarchy has more than one definition. In the United States, the term "an archy" typically is used to refer to a society without a publicly enforced gover nment or violently enforced .[24][25] When used in this sense , anarchy may[26] or may not[27] be intended to imply political disorder or lawl essness within a society. Outside of the U.S., and by most individuals that self-identify as anarchists, i t implies a system of governance, mostly theoretical at a level. Th ere are also other forms of Anarchy that attempt to avoid the use of coercion, v iolence, force and authority, while still producing a productive and desirable s ociety.[28][29] Anocracy An anocracy, is a regime type where power is not vested in publi c institutions (as in a normal democracy) but spread amongst elite groups who ar e constantly competing with each other for power. Examples of in Afri ca include the warlords of Somalia and the shared governments in Kenya and Zimba bwe. Anocracies are situated midway between an autocracy and a democracy.[30] The Polity IV dataset[clarification needed] recognized anocracy as a category. I n that dataset, anocracies are exactly in the middle between and dem ocracies. Often the word is defined more broadly. For example a 2010 International Alert p ublication defined anocracies as "countries that are neither autocratic nor demo cratic, most of which are making the risky transition between autocracy and demo cracy".[31] Alert noted that the number of anocracies had increased substantiall y since the end of the . Anocracy is not surprisingly the least resilien t political system to short-term shocks: it creates the promise but not yet the actuality of an inclusive and effective , and threatens members of the established elite; and is therefore very vulnerable to disruption and ar med violence. A banana republic is a politically unstable kleptocratic governm ent that economically depends upon the exports of a limited resource (fruits, mi nerals), and usually features a society composed of stratified social classes, s uch as a great, impoverished ergatocracy and a ruling plutocracy, composed of th e aristocracy of business, politics, and the military.[32] In political science, the term banana republic denotes a country dependent upon limited primary-secto r productions, which is ruled by a plutocracy who exploit the national economy b y means of a politico-economic oligarchy.[33] In American literature, the term b anana republic originally denoted the fictional Republic of Anchuria, a servile dictatorship that abetted, or supported for kickbacks, the exploitation of large -scale plantation agriculture, especially banana cultivation.[33] In U.S. politi cs, the term banana republic is a pejorative political descriptor coined by the American writer O. Henry in Cabbages and Kings (1904), a book of thematically re lated short stories derived from his 189697 residence in Honduras, where he was h iding from U.S. law for bank embezzlement.[34] Revolutionary government The existing structure is overthrown by a comple tely new group. The new group can be very small such as the military or very lar ge as in a popular revolution. After a period of time, this 'becomes' one of the other type of government (unless there is another coup or uprising). The theory and practice of Marxism-Leninism developed in by Mao Ze dong (Mao Tse-tung), which states that a continuous revolution is necessary if t he leaders of a are to keep in touch with the people. By elements of how power distribution is structured Republican attributes A republic is a form of government in which the country is considered a "public matter" (Latin: ), not the private concern or property of the rulers, and where offices of states are subsequently directly or indirectly elected or appointed rather than inherited. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of state is not a monarch. Term Definition Republic Rule by a form of government in which the people, or some signif icant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where office s of state are elected or chosen by elected people.[35][36] A common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of state is not a monarc h.[37][38] included both democracies, where all the people have a sh are in rule, and or , where only some of the people rul e, as republican forms of government.[39] Constitutional republic Rule by a government whose powers are limited by law or a formal constitution, and chosen by a vote amongst at least some sections of th e populace (Ancient Sparta was in its own terms a republic, though most inhabita nts were disenfranchised. that exclude sections of the populace from p articipation will typically claim to represent all citizens (by defining people without the vote as "non-citizens"). Examples include the United States, South A frica, India, etc. A republic form of government where the country is consi dered a "public matter" (Latin: res publica), not a private concern or property of rulers/3rd world, and where offices of states are subsequently, directly or i ndirectly, elected or appointed rather than inherited where all eligible citizen s have an equal say in the local and national decisions that affect their lives. A republic, like India, Singapore and Poland, with an el ected head of state, but where the head of state and head of government are kept separate with the Head of government retaining most executive powers, or a head of state akin to a head of government, elected by a Parliament. Federal republic A federal union of states or provinces with a republican form of government. Examples include Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Germany, India , Russia, and Switzerland. Islamic Republic Republics governed in accordance with Islamic law. Examp les include , , Iran. Socialist republic Countries like China and Vietnam are meant to be governe d for and by the people, but with no direct elections. The term People's Republi c is used to differentiate themselves from the earlier republic of their countri es before the people's revolution, like Republic of China and Republic of Korea. Federalism attributes [icon] This section requires expansion. (January 2013) Federalism is a political concept in which a group of members are bound together by covenant (Latin: foedus, covenant) with a governing representative head. The term "federalism" is also used to describe a system of government in which sove reignty is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and co nstituent political units (such as states or provinces). Federalism is a system based upon democratic rules and institutions in which the power to govern is sha red between national and provincial/state governments, creating what is often ca lled a federation. Proponents are often called . Term Definition Federalism Rule by a form of government in which the people, or some signif icant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where office s of state are elected or chosen by elected people.[35][36] A common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of state is not a monarc h.[37][38] Montesquieu included both democracies, where all the people have a sh are in rule, and aristocracies or oligarchies, where only some of the people rul e, as republican forms of government.[39] Federal monarchy A federal monarchy is a federation of states with a sing le monarch as over-all head of the federation, but retaining different monarchs, or a non-monarchical system of government, in the various states joined to the federation. Federal republic A federal union of states or provinces with a republican form of government. Examples include Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Germany, India , Russia, and Switzerland. Other power structure attributes Term Definition Adhocracy Rule by a government based on relatively disorganised principles and institutions as compared to a bureaucracy, its exact opposite. Anarchism Sometimes said to be non-governance; it is a structure which str ives for non-hierarchical voluntary associations among agents. Anarchy is a situ ation where there is no government. This can happen after a civil war in a country, when a government has been destr oyed and rival groups are fighting to take its place. There are also people call ed anarchists. They believe that any government is a bad thing this belief is ca lled anarchism. Anarchists think governments stop people organising their own li ves. Instead they think people would be better off if they ruled their own lives and worked together to create a society in any form they choose. Band Society Rule by a government based on small (usually family) unit with a semi-informal hierarchy, with strongest (either physical strength or strength o f character) as leader. Very much like a pack seen in other animals, such as wol ves. Bureaucracy Rule by a system of governance with many bureaus, administrators , and petty officials (Tribal) Rule by a government based on small complex society of v arying degrees of centralization that is led by an individual known as a chief. Cybersynacy Ruled by a data fed group of secluded individuals that regulates aspects of public and private life using data feeds and technology having no in teractivity with the citizens but using "facts only" to decide direction. Parliamentary system A system of democratic government in which the ministers of the Executive Branch derive their legitimacy from and are accountable to a L egislature or parliament; the Executive and Legislative branches are interconnec ted. It is a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citiz ens who can elect people to represent them. A system of government where an executive branch is led by a president who serves as both head of state and head of government. In such a system, this branch exists separately from the , to which it is not responsible and which it cannot, in normal circumstances, dismiss. Nomocracy Rule by a government under the of rational laws and civic right as opposed to one under theocratic systems of government. In a nomoc racy, ultimate and final authority (sovereignty) exists in the law. Forms of government by other characteristic attributes By socio-economic system attributes Further information: Economic system Historically, most political systems originated as socioeconomic ideologies; exp erience with those movements in power, and the strong ties they may have to part icular forms of government, can cause them to be considered as forms of governme nt in themselves. Term Definition Capitalism In a capitalist or free-market economy, people own their own bus inesses and property and must buy services for private use, such as healthcare. In a communist country, the working class, through cooperatives, owns all businesses and farms and shares the healthcare, education and welfare. Examples include Cuba, China, and Vietnam. Feudalism A system of land ownership and duties. Under feudalism, all the land in a kingdom was the king's. However, the king would give some of the land to the lords or nobles who fought for him. These presents of land were called ma nors. Then the nobles gave some of their land to vassals. The vassals then had t o do duties for the nobles. The lands of vassals were called fiefs. Socialism Socialist governments own many of the larger industries and prov ide education, health and welfare services while allowing citizens some economic choices Welfare state Concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distributio n of wealth, and public responsibility for those unable to avail themselves of t he minimal provisions for a good life. By political system attributes Term Definition Elitism An independent nation with small, modernizing Greek for "many leaders"applies to nations with "Western-style" d emocracies Centrist Nations with strict authoritarian regimes Personalist Nations with unstable personalistic political leadership By significant constitutional attributes Certain major characteristics are defining of certain types; others are historic ally associated with certain types of government. Rule according to higher law (unwritten ethnical principles) vs. written constit utionalism Separation of church and state vs. state religion Civilian control of the military vs. stratocracy Totalitarianism/ vs. liberalism state or parliamentary sovereignty vs. constitution or Bill of Rights wi th separation of powers and rules to prevent tyranny of the majori ty and protect minority rights (Patriarchy) or Gynarchy (Matriarchy), gender quotas, gender equality provision, or silence on the matter By approach to regional autonomy This list focuses on differing approaches that political systems take to the dis tribution of sovereignty, and the autonomy of regions within the state. Sovereignty located exclusively at the center of political jurisdiction. Sovereignty located at the centre and in peripheral areas. Hegemony Federation and Federal republic Federal Monarchy Diverging degrees of sovereignty. Asymmetrical federalism Colonial Dependency League Commonwealth and (powers redistributed from central to regional o r local governments) Theoretical and speculative attributes These currently have no citable real-world examples outside of fiction. Term Definition Theoretical form of government occasionally hypothesized in works of , though some historical nations such as medieval Fl orence might be said to have been governed as corporate republics. The colonial such as the Dutch should possibly be conside red corporate states, being semi-sovereign with the power to wage war and establ ish . While retaining some semblance of republican government, a corporate republic wo uld be run primarily like a business, involving a board of directors and executi ves. Utilities, including hospitals, schools, the military, and the police force , would be privatized. The social welfare function carried out by the state is i nstead carried out by corporations in the form of benefits to employees. Althoug h corporate republics do not exist officially in the modern world, they are ofte n used in works of fiction or political commentary as a warning of the perceived dangers of unbridled capitalism. In such works, they usually arise when a singl e, vastly powerful corporation deposes a weak government, over time or in a coup d'état. Some political scientists have also considered state socialist nations to be for ms of corporate republics, with the state assuming full control of all economic and political life and establishing a monopoly on everything within national bou ndaries effectively making the state itself equitable to a giant corporation. Magocracy Rule by a government ruled by the highest and main authority bei ng either a magician, sage, sorcerer, wizard or witch. This is often similar to a theocratic structured regime and is largely portrayed in fiction and fantasy g enre categories. Uniocracy Ruled by a singularity of all human minds connected via some for m of technical or non technical telepathy acting as a form of super computer to make decisions based on shared patterned experiences to deliver fair and accurat e decisions to problems as they arrive. Also known as the "Hive Mind" principle, differs from in that each person would make a decision while in the "hiv e" the synapses of all minds work together following a longer path of memories t o make "one" decision. Maps

States by their systems of government. For the complete list of systems by count ry, see List of countries by system of government. presidential republics semi-presidential republics parliamentary republics parliamentary republics, An executive presidency elected by and dependent on p arliament parliamentary constitutional monarchies in which the monarch does not personal ly exercise power constitutional monarchies in which the monarch personally exercises power, oft en alongside a weak parliament absolute monarchies states whose grant only a single party the right to govern states where constitutional provisions for government have been suspended

Countries highlighted in blue are designated "electoral democracies" in Freedom House's 2013 survey "Freedom in the World".[40] Freedom House considers democrac y in practice, not merely official claims.

A world map distinguishing countries of the world as monarchies (red) from other forms of government (blue). Many monarchies are considered electoral democracie s because the monarch is largely ritual; in other cases the monarch is the only powerful political authority. Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Government Comparative government Constitutional Legal rights List of countries by system of government List of European Union member states by political system Ministry Political economy Politics State (polity) Voting system References ^ "government". Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press. November 201 0. ^ Bealey, Frank, ed. (1999). "government". The Blackwell dictionary of political science: a user's guide to its terms. Wiley-Blackwell. p. 147. ISBN 0631206957. ^ "government". Oxford English Dictionary: American English, Oxford University P ress. 2012. ^ archon. Online Etymology Dictionary. Etymonline.com. Retrieved on 2013-03-15. ^ Lewellen, Ted C. Political Anthropology: An Introduction Third Edition. Praege r Publishers; 3rd edition (30 November 2003) ^ Comparative politics : interests, identities, and institutions in a changing g lobal order, Jeffrey Kopstein, Mark Lichbach (eds.), 2nd ed, Cambridge Universit y Press, 2005, ISBN 0521708400, p. 4 ^ Leo P. Ribuffo, "20 Suggestions for Studying the Right now that Studying the R ight is Trendy," Historically Speaking Jan 2011 v.12#1 pp 26, quote on p. 6 ^ Kari Frederickson, The Dixicrat Revolt and the End of the Solid South, 19321968 , p. 12, "...conservative southern Democrats viewed warily the potential of New Deal programs to threaten the region's economic dependence on cheap labor while stirring the democratic ambitions of the disfranchised and undermining white sup remacy.", The University of North Carolina Press, 2000, ISBN 978-0-8078-4910-1 ^ "Plutocrats The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich and the Fall of Everyone Els e" Chrystia Freeland is Global Editor-at-Large at Reuters news agency, following years of service at the Financial Times both in New York and London. She was th e deputy editor of Canada's Globe and Mail and has reported for the Financial Ti mes, Economist, and Washington Post. She lives in New York City. ^ Ernst R. Berndt, (1982).From Technocracy To Net Energy Analysis: Engineers, Eco nomists And Recurring Energy Theories Of Value, Studies in Energy and the America n Economy, Discussion Paper No. 11, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Revis ed September 1982 ^ American 503 ^ Fotopoulos, Takis, The Multidimensional Crisis ad . (Athens : Gordios, 2005).(English translation of the book with the same title published in Greek). ^ "Victorian Electronic Democracy : Glossary". 28 July 2005. Archived from the o riginal on 13 December 2007. ^ Field Listing :: Government type. CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved on 2013-03 -15. ^ American 1134 ^ Waibl, Elmar; Herdina, Philip (1997). Dictionary of Philosophical Terms vol. I I English-German / Englisch-Deutsch. Walter de Gruyter. p. 33. ISBN 3110979497. Retrieved September 18, 2012. ^ "Corporatocracy". Oxford Dictionaries. Retrieved May 29, 2012. "/?kôrp?r?'täkr?se/ .... a society or system that is governed or controlled by corporations:" ^ Chris Claypoole (June 29, 2003). "Phobiocracy". The Libertarian Enterprise 229 . ^ "The Untold History of the United States", "The Oliver Stone Experience" ^ Spencer Heath MacCallum (June 1, 1998) A Peaceful Ferment in Somalia. The Inde pendent Institute. Independent.org. Retrieved on 2013-03-15. ^ American 1225 ^ "Plutocracy Rising" Moyers & Company. Billmoyers.com (2012-10-19). Retrieved o n 2013-03-15. ^ American 1793 ^ "Decentralism: Where It Came From-Where Is It Going?". Amazon.com. ASIN 155164 2484. ^ "Anarchy." Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. 2004. The first quoted usage is 1667 ^ "Anarchy." Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. 2004. The first quoted usage is 1552 ^ "Anarchy." Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. 2004. The first quoted usage is 1850. ^ "Noam Chomsky on the history of Anarchy". Youtube.com. 2011-09-07. Retrieved 2 012-01-30. ^ "A discussion on what anarchy is, by those that self-identify as anarchists". anarchy.net. ^ Marshall, Monty G.; Cole, Benjamin R. (1 December 2011). "Global Report 2011: Conflict, Governance, and State Fragility" (PDF). Vienna: Center for Systemic Pe ace. Retrieved 2012-08-15. ^ Vernon, Phil; Baksh, Deborrah (September 2010). "Working with the Grain to Cha nge the Grain: Moving Beyond the Millennium Development Goals" (PDF). London: In ternational Alert. p. 29. Retrieved 2012-08-15. ^ Richard Alan White (1984). The Morass. United States Intervention in Central A merica. New York: Harper & Row. p. 319. ISBN 9780060911454. ^ a b "Big-business Greed Killing the Banana (p. A19)". The Independent, via The New Zealand Herald. Saturday 24 May 2008. Retrieved Sunday 24 June 2012. ^ O. Henry (15 December 2009). Cabbages and Kings. MobileReference. p. 198. ISBN 978-1-60778-412-8. Retrieved 15 March 2013. "While he was in Honduras, Porter c oined the term 'banana republic'" ^ a b Montesquieu, The Spirit of the Laws (1748), Bk. II, ch. 1. ^ a b "Republic". Encyclopædia Britannica. ^ a b "republic". WordNet 3.0 (Dictionary.com). Retrieved 20 March 2009. ^ a b "Republic". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 14 August 2010. ^ a b Montesquieu, Spirit of the Laws, Bk. II, ch. 23. ^ "Freedom in the World" (PDF). Archived from the original on 3 February 2013. R etrieved 14 February 2013. Bibliography American Heritage dictionary of the English language (4th ed.). 222 Berkeley Str eet, Boston, MA 02116: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0-395-82517-2 Further Reading Krader, Lawrence (1968). Formation of the State, in Foundations of Modern Anthro pology Series. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall. x, 118 p. External links Look up government in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Look up Appendix:List of forms of government in Wiktionary, the free dic tionary. The Phrontistery Word List: Types of Government and Leadership What Are the Different Types of Governments? Types of Governments from Historical Atlas of the 20th Century Other classifications examples from Historical Atlas of the 20th Century World Affairs: Types of Government Regime Types CBBC Newsround : types of government Bill Moyers: Plutocracy Rising Phobiocracy by Chris Claypoole [show] v t e Autonomous types of first-tier subdivision administration [show] v t e and identity [show] v t e Political culture [show] v t e Political ideologies [show] v t e Social and Categories: Forms of governmentGovernmentGovernment institutionsPolitical termin ology Navigation menu Create accountLog inArticleTalkReadView sourceView history Search Main page Contents Featured content Current events Random article Donate to Wikipedia Interaction Help About Wikipedia Community portal Recent changes Contact page Toolbox Print/export Languages Afrikaans ???? ??????? Aragonés ????? 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