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American Government

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Topics / Principles of Government / Types of Government / Types of Government Type of government

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anarchy

The word anarchy is most often used to connote the lawless, sometimes violent, chaos caused by a complete breakdown or lack of governmental authority. However, anarchism is also a political theory based on a utopia in which voluntary cooperation and the free association of individuals and groups are the main precepts. In that context, the basic anarchistic beliefs are that society is natural and that people are corrupted by the introduction of artificial institutions (e.g., government).

aristocracy

An aristocracy is a government based on the rule of a small, privileged class.

authoritarian regime

In an authoritarian regime, power is concentrated in a leader or elite group that has no constitutional obligation to the people. An authoritarian demands blind submission to his or her leadership.

autocracy

An autocracy is a community or country ruled by a single person with unlimited authority. An autocrat is one who exercises unlimited power.

democracy

A democracy is a system of government in which the people rule through representatives whom they elect. Modern representative democracies are characterized by political equality, popular sovereignty, and political freedom. A true democracy's government can be removed peacefully through fair and open elections.

democracy, direct

In a system of direct democracy, the people directly exercise their power in open assemblies. This type of government, which is based on rule by the people without representatives or leaders, was used in ancient Greece and is now employed in some Israeli kibbutzim.

democracy, parliamentary

Parliamentary democracies, usually based on, or derived from, the government of Great Britain, vest primary authority in a parliament, or legislative branch, where a prime minister (or premier) is also the chief executive officer.

democracy, participatory

Participatory democracy is a general model for political, social, and economic decision making based on the assumption that decision making is most effective when those people most affected by the decision outcomes directly participate in the process. Each member of the collectivity is allotted one vote, and the accumulation of votes on a given issue determines governmental policy.

dictatorship

A dictatorship is the arbitrary rule by an individual or junta who is not constitutionally responsible to the people or their elected representatives.

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American Government

Dictators usually eliminate all opposition and rule through a single legal party while maintaining strict control over the military and the media.

limited government

A form of government in which the state serves public instead of private interests, limited government is based on the use of a written document (like the U.S. Constitution) that strictly limits the powers of government. This system generally includes institutional checks that ensure that the government does not overstep its bounds.

monarchy

Monarchy is a form of government based on the rule of a single person who is normally chosen by hereditary succession to rule for life. In most surviving monarchies (e.g., Japan and Britain), the monarch has no real political power and serves only as the figurehead of government.

oligarchy

An oligarchy is a small group of socially and economically elite citizens that rules a country or other political unit. Oligarchs usually make decisions based on their own interests rather than for the general good.

plutocracy

Plutocracy is a negative term, similar to oligarchy, that denotes government by the rich.

representative government

A representative government is a political system in which the people express their will indirectly by electing representatives who conduct the government for them.

republic

A republic is a form of government characterized by popular sovereignty. The people elect representatives to act on their behalf in lawmaking and in making other government decisions, and the representatives are responsible to those who elect them.

theocracy

A theocracy is a government ruled by religious authorities.

totalitarian regime

In a totalitarian regime, force is used to control the nation's politics, society, and culture. A totalitarian government has absolute power, and the people are not permitted to choose its leadership or to guide its policies.

tyranny

An oppressive government in which a single individual rules on behalf of his or her own interests is a tyranny.

[Source: ABC-CLIO's American Government database.] Select Citation Style:

MLA

MLA "Types of Government." American Government. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 24 Sept. 2014.

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