Different forms of government

[chronicles]

Some Forms of Government:


· Absolute Monarchy -- kingdom in which monarch has complete power
· Anarchy -- absence of government
· Aristocracy -- government by a wealthy, privileged minority or hereditary ruling class
· Caliphate -- government by Islamic civil and religious leader
· Civil government -- government established by laws made by citizens or their representatives; nonmilitary, nonreligious authority
· Coalition government -- temporary alliance of members of two or more parties to form governing majority
· Collective -- group or institution organized and run by all members equally
· Commonwealth -- government in which ultimate authority lies with people
· Constitutionalism -- government based on written constitutional principles
· Constitutional monarchy -- government headed by monarch and regulated by constitution
· Democracy -- government by the people with majority rule exercised in periodic, free election of representatives
· Despotism -- government in which ruler exercise absolute power
· Dictatorship -- government in which absolute power rest with one person or a few
· Duarchy or duumvirate -- government by two equally powerful rulers
· Dyarchy -- dual responsibility shared by colonial government and native ministers
· Empire -- several territories, nations or peoples governed by single sovereign authority
· Fascism -- government based on establishing oppressive, one-part, centralized national regime
· Federal government -- system in which political units surrender individual sovereignty to central authority, but retain designated powers
· Feudalism -- political system in Europe from 9th to 15th century in which lord owned all property worked by vassals
· Gerontocarcy -- rule by elders
· Gynecocracy -- government by women
· Hagiocracy -- government by group of persons believed to be holy
· Hierocracy -- rule by priest or clergy
· Isocracy -- government in which all individuals have equal political power
· Matriarchy -- government or monarchy in which power rests with females or descends through female line
· Meritocracy -- government in which criterion for leadership is skill or intellectual achievement
· Monarchy -- government with absolute hereditary ruler who serves for life
· Ochlocracy -- rule by the multitude or mob
· Oligarchy -- government by small group of privileged individuals
· Pantisocracy -- utopia in which all members rule equally
· Parliamentary government -- system in which executive (prime minister) is chosen by elected legislature (parliament) from among its members
· Patriarchy -- government or monarchy in which power rests with males or descends through male line
· Plutocracy -- government by the wealthy
· Principality -- state ruled by a prince, often part of larger state or empire
· Regency -- reign of non-monarch during youth or indisposition of monarch
· Republic -- government in which power is vested in elected representatives of citizenry
· Sovereignty -- political autonomy and freedom of state from outside authority
· Stratocracy -- government by the military
· Technocracy -- government run by experts and technicians
· Thearchy -- government based on divine sovereignty
· Theocracy -- government by church officials, who believe they have divine authority
· Timocracy -- government based on love of honor and military glory or on requisite ownership of property
· Totalitarianism -- authoritarian political system in which citizen is totally subject to will of state
· Triarchy -- government ruled jointly by three person; triumvirate
· Tyranny -- government by single absolute authority, especially one exercising oppressive power
· Unitary government -- system in which power is held by single central source, and local governments are merely administrative agents, the opposite of federalism
· Welfare state -- system in which ultimate responsibility of government is well being of all citizens
religions

[littlemissattitude]

That is quite a list. As a part of my interest in belief systems, I am definitely interested in political systems. I should have known all of these, but there are a few I've never heard of.

[brian]

I admit to not hearing of specific names for more than one. I the list posted on another messageboard and thought it could provide an invaluable research resource.