Types of Government
Types
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Anarchy
Constitutional
Monarchy
Absolute Monarchy
Dictatorship
Parliamentary
Democracy
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Presidential
Democracy
Theocracy
Oligarchy
Republic
Communism
Anarchy
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An apparent absence of laws and
restrictions
A lack of government
Typically occurs during transition
phases of government
Pro- Each individual has absolute power
Con- Each individual has absolute
power
Absolute Monarchy
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A king/queen has total power over every
aspect of the country
Pro- Ruler can easily make decisions and
changes for the benefit of the country
Con- A weak or unjust ruler can create
many problems for the country
Constitutional Monarchy
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Government with shared power between a
king/queen and a legislative body
Can be one-sided with the monarch or the
legislature having more power
Sometimes the monarch just serves as a
figurehead
Pro- Not all of the power is in one person’s
hands
Dictatorship
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Absolute power in the hands of one person
or group
Usually backed by the force of a military
Pro- Often occurs during times of crisis for
a country and brings stability
Con- a ruthless dictator can lead to
massive loss of life and destruction
Parliamentary Democracy
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Rule of people with their power given to
an elected executive and an
elected/appointed legislative body
There is no clear separation of powers
between the two groups
Pro- When the legislature and executive
work together good things happen
Con- Disputes between the groups can
grind government to a halt
Presidential Democracy
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Rule of the people that contains separation
between executive, legislative, and judicial
branches
Government type that we have in the United
States
Pros- Individual branches keep each of the
other branches from becoming too powerful
Cons- If the branches do not cooperate, the
governmental action can stop or good laws
may be stopped out of spite
Theocracy
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Rule by a religious faction or religious leader
Typically occurs in states with an official
religion
Can still have a legislative branch, but it
would be controlled by the religious group
Pro- Government has massive support by its
residents because they believe in that faith
Con- Religious decisions may affect decisions
that would better help the country and the
people in it
Oligarchy
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Power resides within a very small elite group
of individuals
Usually specified by royalty, wealth, or family
lines
Pro- One person cannot be influenced to
make changes within government
Con- Group in power usually tries harder to
stay in power than to actually help the country
Republic
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Rule by the people in which there isn’t an
executive
The people have all of the power
Pro- People have the power to control every
aspect of government
Con- The majority group can make decisions
that will adversely affect minorities
Communism
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Government has total control over all factors
of production (land, labor, and capital)
Goal is to create a classless society where
everyone is treated equally
Pro- If it works, all people would have the
same opportunities
Con- People have no say in anything