FORMS OF GOVERNMENT
In its 67th session the United Nations general assembly divided the government into three
categories:
1. Monarchy
2. Dictatorship
3. Democracy
1. Monarchy –
Monarchy is defined as "a country that is ruled by a monarch (such as a king or queen)" or "a
form of government in which a country is ruled by a monarch”. For example, The United
Kingdom has a monarchy and an elected parliament.
Countries with monarchies include: United Kingdom, Tonga, Bhutan, Japan, Solomon Islands,
United Arab Emirates, and Jamaica. Spain and UK have hierarchy 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.
Origin –
The origin of monarchy can be traced from before 3000BC. It was first followed by the
Sumerian Empire, which was considered the first city-state. By monarchy they meant that the
king has some divine power which was bestowed to him by God that gave them power to rule
them. The Sumerians had over 3,000 gods. Each city had its own government and laws. Kings
ruled these city-states in the name of the gods they worshipped until eventually one king created
an empire and Sumer became one of the first monarchies in the world.
In a monarchy, the monarch is the head of all the branches of government, the executive,
legislative and judiciary, with the help of military and police.
The UK and Denmark has representative democracy. (Representative democracy, also known as
indirect democracy, is a type of democracy where elected delegates represent a group of people,
in contrast to direct democracy. Nearly all modern Western-style democracies function as some
type of representative democracy: for example, the United Kingdom (a unitary parliamentary
constitutional monarchy), Germany (a federal parliamentary republic), France (a unitary semipresidential republic), and the United States (a federal presidential republic).Representative
democracy places power in the hands of representatives who are elected by the people.)
Types –
Absolute MonarchyAM is a form of m in which the monarch rules in his or her own right or power. In an absolute
monarchy, the king or queen is by no means has any limited power but has absolute power. These
are usually hereditary in nature.
Presently there are seven states in the world in which the head of the state holds the supreme
power to rule, such as Brunei, Eswatini, Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Oman, Saudi Arabia,
Vatican City, and the United Arab Emirates.
Constitutional MonarchyIn the constitutional monarchy system, Queens and Kings are officially the head of the state, but
their administrative and political power is limited within the frame of the constitution. Monarchs
mostly play ceremonial roles as head of the state on different occasions in their tenure.
The Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state with different independent states that came under
one integral part of the sovereign system to remark the legacy of the British empire all over the
world. Commonwealth nations are independent, but they still consider Queen Elizabeth their
Queen ‘by the grace of god’ and head of the state. Like the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia
or New Zealand, etc. But does not hold any actual political power as head of the state. Rather her
role is limited to ceremonies, official titles and honorariums decided by the constitution,
government, or an agreement.
Apart from the Commonwealth state, a few constitutional monarchies still exist in different
countries. The Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of Netherlands, the Kingdom of Denmark, the
Kingdom of Norway, the Kingdom of Japan, the Kingdom of Bhutan, and the Kingdom of
Thailand and their monarchs enjoy restricted power, mostly limited to ceremonies, official
events, and tours.
Mixed Monarchy
A mixed monarchy state is not a totally autocratic or entirely democratic state. The power hangs
between two types of government bodies. Liechtenstein and Monaco are prime examples of
mixed monarchies. The monarch holds substantial power in the political and administrative
system in those countries.
Federal Monarchy
In the federal system, the different states or territories have the right to apply localized rules and
regulations for the state independently. In most federal structures, there is a central body of
government, which unites other different states within a centralized rule. But state governments
do enjoy individual systems to regulate their power in their states. In a federal monarchy, these
individual states address their monarchs as their heads of the state. Malaysia has a federal
monarchy.
2. Dictatorship-
A dictatorship is a form of government, where one person effectively has all the power to run a
country. This person is called a dictator. In very few cases, a small group of people holds this
power, which is called an oligarchy.
Example – The North Korea under King Jong-un, Chile under General Augusto Pinochet,
Uganda under Idi Amin and China in year 1935 to 1976 under Mao Zedong, Iraq under Saddam
Hussain.
The constitution of a dictatorship government may be good but it doesn’t depend that the ruler is
also good so it may depend on the ruler.
Meaning of Dictatorship –
According to Ford, Dictatorship is the assumption of extra-legal authority by the Head of the
State.
Alfred says, “Dictatorship is the government of one man who has not obtained his position by
inheritance but either by force or by consent, and normally by a combination of both. He must
possess absolute sovereignty. All political powers must ultimately emanate from he will and it
must be unlimited in scope. It must be exercised more or less frequently in an arbitrary
manner by decree rather than by law. Finally, it must not be incompatible, with absolute rule.”
From Alfred Cobbon’s analysis it is revealed that main features of dictatorship are:
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This w one men’s rule;
This is based on force or consent or a mixture of both;
The dictator is not responsible to any other authority;
His powers are unlimited;
The Dictator runs the administration authoritatively and not according to law; and
His tenure is not fixed.
Cobbon Alfred’s explanation was applicable to dictators like Napoleon or Kamel Ata Turk. It
is also applicable to modern military dictators. But in the countries where dictatorship is
based on party, this is no applicable. For instance, there is dictatorship of the Communist
Party in Russia, China, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Rumanian, etc., The First
Secretary of the Communist Party is all powerful in these countries but his powers also
depend on the party support.
Origin of Dictatorship –
Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated form of tyranny and
slavery out of the most extreme liberty. -Plato
Roman Dictators.
Modern dictatorship –
Modern Dictatorships Between 1919 and 1939 there was a great reaction against democracy and
dictatorship was established in many countries of the world. in Turkey, Kamal Pasha, established
his dictatorship in 1921 and he remained in power till his death in 1938. Mussolini abolished
democracy in Italy in 1922 and became a dictator. In 1933, Hitler established his dictatorship in
Germany and he remained in power till 1944. Some years ago, Military Dictatorship was
established in some countries, e.g., Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sudan, Nigeria, Burma, Ghana,
Indonesia and in some countries of South America, Chile, Panama, Argentina and Brazil. Now
civilian rule has been restored in Argentina and Brazil, the largest countries of Latin America.
Military revolutions took place in these countries and the administration was run by Military
Dictators.
Recent – Pakistan under Mussraaf, in NK, IN UGANDA, NIGERIA etc.
Cause of the rise of Dictatorship –
1. Outbreak of the first world war - The First World War broke out in 1914. In order to
conduct the war successfully even in democratic countries, the executive captured all the
powers of the government and Parliaments were pushed wide. There was no regard for
the freedom and rights of the people. As such, democracy received a severe set-back.
2. The Treaty of Versailles of 1919 was based upon injustice- The Treaty of Versailles (Paris
Pact) was based on injustice. According to this treaty, Germany was bifurcated into two
parts and they were handed over to France, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Poland and
League of Nations. Besides, a sum of £6,600 million was imposed as War-Indemnity on
Germany. This compelled the people of Germany to think that only a strong government
could bring about unification of the county tad payment of reparation could be avoided.
Thus, Hitler assumed power in 1933.
Though, according to the secret Treaty of London, Italy was to be givens new territory,
yet after winning World War I, the governments of England and France did not fulfill that
obligation. Italy suffered a heavy loss in World War I and she was Very much
disappointed. People believed that only a strong and powerful government could be
effective at that stage. Thus, Mussolini rose to power in 1922.
3. Incompetence of democratic governments, After World War I- Democratic government
were established in Germany and Italy. They had to fag many crises from the very
beginning. There was the problem of the unification, the motherland and Economic
Depression in Germany.
4. Lack of Democratic Traditions - There was a lack of democratic traditions in Italy,
Germany, Russia, Portugal and Spain. The people became restive and they transferred all
their rights to dictators.
Features of a Modern Dictatorship
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Absoluteness of the state
No distinction is recognized between the state and society
Suspension of fundamental rights and liberties
Belief in violence and force
Opposition is not allowed to exist
Control over press and radio
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Dictators ignore the international public opinion
Totalitarian GovernmentTotalitarian states are states where there is a single party rule. This is an example of extreme
collectivism where the state is controlled by a single party either because of religious reasons or
because it is considered to be a very good form of governance. In fact, totalitarianism was a term
coined as fundamentally different from dictatorship during the times of fascism in Italy. This
political ideology perceived the state as the most powerful and having extreme influence over the
lives of the citizens to achieve the goals set for the state. The best example of a totalitarian state
in history is that of Stalin’s Soviet Union and Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler. In recent times,
Iraq under the domination of Baath Party controlled by Saddam Hussein has been a perfect
example of a totalitarian state.
In a totalitarian political system, there is a single party in the country that controls the state.
There is no limit to the authority of the party, and it is the intention of the party to regulate the
lives of the citizens. There is a great deal of interference in both the private and public lives of
the people of the country, but this is justified in the name of nationalism and accepted as such by
the people. People becomes property of the state. All organizations are banned.
QUES. Difference between a totalitarian government and dictatorship?
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Totalitarian regimes are characterized by a single party rule whereas dictatorships are
characterized by rule of a single person.
 Totalitarian governments have no limits to their authority and exercise great influence
over the lives of their citizens.
 Dictatorship is a political system where a single person or a small group of people have
all the power to control people.
 In dictatorship, there is no consent of the people to rule them whereas, in totalitarian
regimes, people accept one party rule as a better form of governance.
 Dictatorship is defined by where the power comes from whereas totalitarianism is
defined by the scope of the government.
 Power remains concentrated in the hands of a single person or a chosen few in a
dictatorship whereas power remains in the hands of a single political party in
totalitarianism that is an extreme case of collectivism.
3. Democracy –
According to Abraham Lincoln: - "Democracy is a government of the people, by the people,
and for the people."
"Democracy is a government by the people in which the supreme power is vested in the
people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral
system." A democratic government implies a democratic state but a democratic state does not
necessarily mean a democratic govt. A democratic state mean is that the community, as a
whole possesses sovereign authority and maintains ultimate controlling and dismissing a
government.
Origin Sparta was the Greek city state which had a democratic government. In Spartan government, the
political power was divided between four bodies: two Spartan kings (diarchy), gerousia (Council
of Gerontes (elders), including the two kings), the ephors (representatives of the citizens who
oversaw the kings) and the ecclesia (assembly of Spartans).
The government according to Hobbes and Locke was established through the social contract
theory. Social contract arguments typically are that individuals have consented, either explicitly
or tacitly, to surrender some of their freedoms and submit to the authority (of the ruler, or to the
decision of a majority) in exchange for protection of their remaining rights or maintenance of the
social order.
(For Hobbes, the necessity of an absolute authority, in the form of a Sovereign, followed from
the utter brutality of the State of Nature. The State of Nature was completely intolerable, and
so rational men would be willing to submit themselves even to absolute authority in order to
escape it. For John Locke, 1632-1704, the State of Nature is a very different type of place, and
so his argument concerning the social contract and the nature of men’s relationship to
authority are consequently quite different. While Locke uses Hobbes’ methodological device of
the State of Nature, as do virtually all social contract theorists, he uses it to a quite different
end. Locke’s arguments for the social contract, and for the right of citizens to revolt against
their king were enormously influential on the democratic revolutions that followed, especially
on Thomas Jefferson, and the founders of the United States.) (extra)
Types of Democracy –
1.
Parliamentary 2. Presidential
1.
Parliamentary- It is a type of governance in which the legislative and the executive
are connected. It is a system in which voters elect members of the legislative
Parliament. The legislative is the highest power, and the executive is exclusively
accountable to it. The legislative is the highest power, and the executive is exclusively
accountable to it.
Features – The head of state and the head of government are different under the
Parliamentary system of government. Generally, the President or monarch is the head of
state. He/she solely has ceremonial capabilities. Usually, the Prime Minister is the leader of
the government, and he or she has actual authority.
• It can be either bicameral (with two houses) or unicameral (with one house), where former
is a system usually consists of a directly elected lower house, which in turn elects the upper
house.
• The government's powers are not entirely divided. The distinction between the legislative
and the executive is blurred since the executive is part of the legislature.
• This system is also distinguished by majority party rule. However, no administration can
have a veto-proof majority, since the Parliament also includes the opposition.
• In this arrangement, the council of ministers is collectively accountable to Parliament. The
lower chamber of Parliament has the authority to remove the ruling government by passing a
nonconfidence resolution.
• Cabinet deliberations are usually kept private under this style of governance and are not
meant to be made public.
FORM OF GOVERNMENT IN INDIA
India is a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, and republican country. That follows the
Westminster style of governance, often known as Cabinet government or Responsible
government also known as parliamentary form of Government. This kind of government is
prevalent in Britain, Japan, Canada and India among others.
ELEMENTS OF PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM IN INDIA
• India has a bicameral legislature, with members of the Lower House (Lok Sabha) elected
by the people and members of the Upper House (Rajya Sabha) chosen by elected
representatives.
• The Rajya Sabha is a permanent house that cannot be disbanded but the President can
dissolve the Lok Sabha on the Prime Minister's suggestion,
• Nominal and Real Executives: In India, the executive is divided into two parts: nominal
executive and real executive. The nominal executive is the President, the Head of State. In
theory, the Indian Constitution vests all executive powers in the President of India. In reality,
however, they are employed by the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers. The true
executive is the Prime Minister.
• In the parliamentary form of Government in our constitution, the president of the Union and
the Governors of the state are required to exercise their functions on the advice of the
Council of Ministers. Ministers are required to be or become members of the legislature. The
Council of Ministers is declared to be collectively responsible to the legislature.
The government is formed by the party that wins the most seats in the Lower House
elections. The President selects the Prime Minister and the other ministries on the Prime
Minister's proposal.
• Opposition: In elections, the party with the second most votes create an opposition party.
The opposition is critical in keeping the prevailing administration in check.
• Members of the executive adhere to the concept of confidentiality in official legal affairs
pertaining to the country.
Presidential form of government: The three branches of government — the executive,
judiciary, and legislature – function independently in the presidential form of government.
The President is the top executive and is directly chosen by the population. A Presidential
system is sometimes known as a Congress system. The Presidential system of administration
may be traced back to mediaeval England, France, and Scotland, when the administrative
authority was held by the Monarch or Crown (King/Queen) rather than the estates of the
realm (Parliament).
Features:
The Presidential system has the following features:
• In this system the President has no formal powers. He is the head of both the executive and
the state. He also serves as the ceremonial leader of the executive. He serves as the chief real
executive as the leader of the government. As a result, the Presidential system is
distinguished by a single executive idea.
• The people or the Electoral College directly elect the President.
• The President can only be removed through an impeachment proceeding for a serious
violation of the Constitution.
• The President leads with the assistance of a small group of individuals which is his cabinet.
The president appoints nonelected departmental secretaries to the cabinet, which serves as an
advisory body. It reports to the President, and he has the authority to remove departmental
secretaries.
• The President and his cabinet are neither lawmakers nor responsible to the legislature.
• The Presidential system effectively demonstrates the principle of separation of powers.
Members of one branch are not allowed to join the other.
• The President has the authority to veto legislative actions. He or she may also grant
forgiveness.
PRESIDENTIAL FORM OF GOVERNMENT IN THE USA:
This system originated in the United States and is the dominant model followed by just a few
other democracies, including Philippines Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.
The President of the United States serves as both the senior executive of the government and the
head of state under the American system. The cabinet and heads of numerous executive
departments, as well as other administrative bureaus and agencies comprises the executive
branch of government, is presided over by the President. The chief executive and subordinate
executive officers are in charge of carrying out and enforcing legislation, as well as managing the
government's day-today activities. The President, in particular, controls the armed forces and is
responsible for the country's defense against internal instability and external invasion.
In the United States, the President, other executive officials, and members of the court can be
removed through a constitutionally mandated process of impeachment and conviction.
In the United States, the President serves for four years, Senate members for six years, and
House members for two years. Members of the federal judiciary in the United States are
appointed for life, unless they opt to resign.
The legislative or law-making branch of government in the United States is the bicameral
Congress, which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. In USA, there is a
clear separation of powers between the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. A law passed
by the Congress can be vetoed by the President.
EXTRA NOTES In Japan, b4 WW2 there was monarchy, after that there is constitutional monarchy.
Theocracy- Theocracy is a form of government in which one or more deities are recognized as
supreme ruling authorities, giving divine guidance to human intermediaries who manage the
government's daily affairs.
Examples- Vatican City - Following the Capture of Rome on 20 September 1870, the Papal
States including Rome with the Vatican were annexed by the Kingdom of Italy. In 1929, through
the Lateran Treaty signed with the Italian Government, the new state of Vatican City was
formally created and recognized as an independent state. The head of state of the Vatican is the
pope, elected by the College of Cardinals, an assembly of high-ranking clergy. The pope is
elected for life, and either dies in office, or in extremely rare situations may resign. The cardinals
are appointed by the popes, who thereby choose the electors of their successors. The catholic
church in the 16th century dominated over the states and nations.
Islamic theocracies- An Islamic republic is the name given to several states that are officially
ruled by Islamic laws, including the Islamic Republics of Iran, Pakistan, and Mauritania.
Pakistan first adopted the title under the constitution of 1956. Mauritania adopted it on 28
November 1958. Iran adopted it after the 1979 Iranian Revolution that overthrew the Pahlavi
dynasty. Despite having similar names, the countries differ greatly in their governments and
laws.
Theocracy + Monarchy – Saudi Arabia (Theocracy is a form of government in which one or
more deities are recognized as supreme ruling authorities, giving divine guidance to human
intermediaries who manage the government's daily affairs.)
Modern day theocratic states are – Vatican City, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and North Korea.
In Saudi Arabia, has a hierarchy system and also has theocracy. In SA’s government has the
council of minster who are part of royal family. The Constitution of SA’s is a based on Islamic
holy book of Quran and other religious traditions.
Also, Pakistan the Article 2 of the constitution – states that the state religion of Pakistan is Islam.
After the political transition of Bangladesh after 1979, Bangladesh adopted itself as an Islamic
State.
Imp- Iran and Vatican are the most theocratic government in the world acc. To ma’am.