LIST OF FORMS OF GOVERNMENT

This article lists 'forms of government' and political systems, according to a series of different ways of categorising them. The systems listed are of course not mutually exclusive, and often have overlapping definitions (for example autocracy, authoritarianism, despotism, totalitarianism, monarchism and tyranny).

Contents

Alphabetical list with hierarchy

By approach to regional autonomy

By political franchise

According to Weber's tripartite classification of authority

According to an etymologist approach

See also

External links

Alphabetical list with hierarchy

The following list groups major political systems (recognized by political science) in alphabetical order. The various subtype political systems are listed below the main system of government.

★ 'Anarchism' (perhaps better defined as a system of non-hierarchical governance)

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★ Anarcho-communism

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★ Anarcho-capitalism

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★ Eco-anarchism

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★ Anarcho-primitivism

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★ Anarcho-socialism

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★ Anarcho-syndicalism

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★ Tribalism

★ 'Authoritarianism' (Autocracy or Oligarchy)

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★ Absolutism

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★ Enlightened absolutism

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★ Aristocracy

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★ Corporatism

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★ Despotism

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★ Diarchy

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★ Dictatorship (not all dictatorships are autocracies)

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★ Military dictatorship

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★ Benevolent dictatorship

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★ Constitutional dictatorship

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★ Gynecocracy

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★ Gerontocracy

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★ Kleptocracy

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★ Matriarchy

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★ Meritocracy

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★ Monarchism government called monarchy, which consisted of a monarch who had all the power over the area.

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★ Absolute monarchy

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★ Constitutional monarchy

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★ Feudalism

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★ Despotate

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★ Duchy

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★ Grand Duchy

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★ Elective monarchy

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★ Emirate

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★ Hereditary monarchy

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★ Popular monarchy

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★ Principality

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★ New Monarchs

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★ Self-proclaimed monarchy

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★ Viceroyalty

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★ Patriarchy

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★ Patrimonalism

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★ Plutocracy

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★ Timocracy

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★ Police state

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★ Corporate police state

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★ Robocracy

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★ Theocracy (hierocracy)

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★ Caliphate

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★ Halachic state

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★ Holy See

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★ Islamic republic

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★ Sultanate

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★ Totalitarianism

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★ Fascism (extreme nationalism)

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★ Single-party state

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★ Tyranny

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★ Technocracy (bureaucratic)

★ 'Democracy'

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★ Deliberative democracy

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★ Democratic republic

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★ Direct democracy

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★ Participatory democracy

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★ Representative democracy

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★ Westminster system

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★ Parliamentary system

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★ Consensus government

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★ Presidential system (Congressional system)

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★ Semi-presidential system

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★ Republicanism (Republic)

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★ Presidential republic

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★ Parliamentary republic

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★ Constitutional republic

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★ Democratic political movements

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★ Liberal democracy

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★ Social democracy

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★ Totalitarian democracy

By approach to regional autonomy

This list focuses on differing approaches that

★ Sovereignty located exclusively at the centre

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★ Empire

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★ Unitary state

★ Sovereignty located at the centre and in peripheral areas

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★ Federation

By political franchise

This list shows a division based on differences in political franchise (''suffrage'').

★ anarchy - rule by no one

★ democracy - rule by majority

★ republic - rule by law

★ oligarchy - rule by minority

★ autocracy - rule by one

According to Weber's tripartite classification of authority

Max Weber in his tripartite classification of authority distinguished three ideal types of political leadership, domination and authority:

★ charismatic domination (familial and religious)

★ traditional domination (patriarchs, patrimonalism, feudalism)

★ legal domination (modern law and state, bureaucracy)

According to an etymologist approach

Finally, the list below present an etymologist's approach to forms of government: the following are real, possible or imaginary forms of government, all made different by the prefix and suffix combination. Nearly all use one of two suffixes: -archy meaning "leadership" (eg. anarchy - no leadership), and -cracy suffix from Greek "kratos" and means "strength" and "power" (e.g., democracy - people's power). The major exception is the Republic, which is derived from the Latin ''res publicae'', which means "the public matter" or, more literally, "the thing of the people", i.e. socio-political affairs. For various extant terms, an example or annotation is juxtaposed.

★ 'adhocracy' government in an unstructured fashion; an unstructured organization

★ 'anarchy' absence of leadership

★ 'andrarchy'/'androcracy' leadership by / government by men

★ 'aristocracy' government by the nobility (aristo="the best")

★ 'atheocracy' government where religion is forbidden

★ 'autarchy' leadership by an absolute ruler

★ 'autocracy' government by one individual, autarchy

★ 'bureaucracy' government by civil servants; also the civil servants themselves

★ 'confederacy' a union of sovereign states

★ 'corporatocracy' government by corporations (industry)

★ 'cryptocracy' government by secret or unknown leaders (mostly fictional)

★ 'demarchy' leadership by the people by lot

★ 'democracy' government by the people, either direct (through referendum or popular assembly) or via elections (representative form)

★ 'ethnocracy' government by a particular ethnic group

★ 'geniocracy' government by those of a higher than average intelligence

★ 'gerontocracy' government by the aged - see the Spartan gerousia

★ 'gynarchy' leadership by women; gynocracy (government by women)

★ 'hierarchy' leadership by a ranked body

★ 'hierocracy' government by priests or religious ministers

★ 'juristocracy' government by judges (also ''judiciocracy'')

★ 'kakistocracy' government by the worst

★ 'kleptocracy' government by thieves - not an existing form, but a negative appreciation of any regime where corruption is excessive

★ 'kritarchy' leadership by equal freedoms

★ 'krytocracy' government by judges

★ 'magocracy' government by the magically adept (fictional)

★ 'malarchy' leadership by bad leaders

★ 'matriarchy' leadership by women or mothers

★ 'meritocracy' government by those with merit

★ 'minarchy' leadership with the smallest possible bureaucracy or size

★ 'monarchy' leadership by one (usu. by hereditary rule)

★ 'nomocracy' government through established laws

★ 'ochlocracy' government by mobs

★ 'oligarchy' leadership by the few; sometimes specified after their fixed number :

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★ 'dyarchy' leadership by two, as in a dual monarchy

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★ 'heptarchy' leadership by seven people

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★ 'triumvirate' government by three people

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★ 'tetrarchy' leadership by four people

★ 'omniarchy' leadership by all

★ 'panarchy' universal rule or dominion

★ 'pantarchy' (literally) rule by all

★ 'particracy' government by political parties

★ 'patriarchy' leadership by fathers - the original Roman Senate, styling itself Patres ('fathers'), came close; usually just said of rule by men

★ 'plantocracy' government by plantation owners

★ 'plutocracy' government by the wealthy

★ 'polyarchy' leadership by many people, a vague antonym to monarchy and oligarchy

★ 'pornocracy' government by prostitution - none has yet to exist, although there is a period of the papacy known as the pornocracy.

★ 'republic' government by elected politicians

★ 'robocracy' government by robots or other artificial intelligences (fictional)

★ 'sociocracy' government by equal individuals, based on consent

★ ' stratocracy' government by the armed forces - usually termed military dictatorship or junta

★ 'synarchy' joint sovereignty, just as the condominium of Andorra

★ 'technocracy' government by technical experts

★ 'thalassocracy' sovereignty of the seas

★ 'theocracy' government by a deity through clergy or by religious law

★ 'timocracy' government by the propertied class

★ '(Neo) Trinitarianism' government of combined components of Tyranny, Totalitarianism and Technocracy

See also

★ Form of government

★ Golden Liberty

★ List of countries by system of government

★ Separation of powers

External links

★ CBBC Newsround : types of government