Types of Government

Types Anarchy Constitutional Monarchy Absolute Monarchy Dictatorship Parliamentary Democracy Presidential Democracy Theocracy Oligarchy Republic Communism

Anarchy 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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