Types of Governments
World and U.S. Studies
There are six types of governments you need to know
•Absolute monarchy
•Constitutional monarchy
•Parliamentary democracy
•Presidential democracy
•Theocracies
•Dictatorships
1. Absolute Monarchy
•Absolute monarchy is an idealized form of government, a monarchy where the ruler has the
power to rule their country and citizens freely with no laws or legally-organized direct opposition
telling the monarchy what to do.
•In order of importance:
1. King
2. People
Kings and Queens
•Get their power through birthright or heredity.
•Raised to become head of state.
•Highly educated and cultured
•Louis XIV of France was an absolute monarch. (1681-1715)
Today’s absolute monarchies
1. Swaziland
2. Vatican City
2. Constitutional Monarchies
•A constitutional monarchy is a political system in which the head of state is a king or queen
ruling to the extent allowed by a constitution.
•In order of importance:
1. The constitution
2. King or Queen
3. People
The biggest is…
•United Kingdom with the commonwealth nations of
•Canada
•Jamaica
•Queen Elizabeth II is the monarch
3. Parliamentary democracy
•This political system is based on the idea that Parliament is supreme.
•The people choose representatives at regular elections. Who has this?
•Australia
•The people elect the parliament. Then Parliament makes the laws and decisions for the country.
•Then Parliament elects a president.
4. Presidential democracy
•The U.S.A.
•The people elect the president to a 4 year term.
•Congress is elected separately.
•All branches of government work together within a system of checks and balances.
Is this good?
•It is effective, everyone can be heard. Every voice counts.
•It is ineffective, it takes time to hear all points of views, discuss and vote.
5. Theocracy
•A government by a god or priests.
Who has it?
•In the contemporary world, Iran and Afghanistan are considered theocracies because ultimate
political authority in each is in the hands of religious leaders and a fundamentalist regime whose
purpose is to organize society under religious law.
6. Dictatorship
•A form of government in which absolute power is concentrated in a dictator.
•What is a dictator - a ruler who is unconstrained by law and usually rules with terror.
•A dictator can do what he wants, when he wants to whomever he wants. If you question a
dictator’s rule you can be killed.
What is better?
There can be pros and cons for all forms of government.
•Try to name one pro and one con for:
1. absolute monarchy
2. constitutional monarchy
3. parliamentary democracy
4. presidential democracy
5. theocracy
6. dictatorship
Now let’s rate the forms of government
1=best 6=worse