Forms of Government | Overview & Examples

Representative Democracy

Unlike direct democracy, voters do not usually vote on individual laws in a representative democracy. Instead, voters in representative democracies elect representatives who make decisions on the behalf of the voters. Therefore, voters rarely vote in referenda in representative democracies. Two major forms of representative democracy are republic governments and parliamentary governments.

Example: The United States has a representative democracy, where voters elect officials like senators and members of congress who are expected to represent the interests of their constituents during their terms of office.

Republic Government

In modern times, a republic is a form of representative democracy that abides by the principle of separation of powers. In republics, there is a clear separation between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. This usually means that a president holds executive power and is elected by the people separately from legislators. In republican systems, legislators compose and pass laws that are sent to the president for approval.

Examples: United States and Brazil are both modern examples of republics.

Parliamentary Government

Another type of representative democracy is called a parliamentary democracy. In a parliamentary government, executive power is derived from the legislature, which means that separate elections for executives like presidents are not held. In parliamentary governments, executives are called prime ministers and are chosen by members of parliament. If the prime minister loses too much support in parliament, the parliament can hold a vote of no confidence to replace the prime minister.

Examples: Italy and Greece are both governed by parliamentary democracies today.

The United States is a representative democracy, which means that it regularly holds elections where voters elect officials to represent them.

Monarchy Government

In a monarchical system of government, the state is controlled by a monarch such as a king or a queen. In absolute monarchies monarchs have complete control over the activities of the state and can therefore rule however they please without limitations. In constitutional monarchies, the powers of the monarch are limited by constitutions, often to the point that monarchs have little to no practical political authority.

Examples: Saudi Arabia has an absolute monarchy while Spain and the United Kingdom both have constitutional monarchies.

Oligarchy Government

In an oligarchic form of government, political power is concentrated in the hands of the small group of people who often have great wealth. In modern-day oligarchies, economic elites exert control over a state without accountability to the broader population. Oligarchic families usually play a strong role in these governments as children inherit both the wealth and influence of their parents.

Example: Although no government today officially recognizes itself as an oligarchy, many political scientists believe that the government of Russia is best characterized as an oligarchy.

Technocracy Government

Technocracies are governments that are ruled by technocrats, people distinguished by their expertise. In this system of government, technocrats make key political decisions that fall within their own fields of expertise and are therefore relatively unaccountable to the people. In a technocracy, for example, education experts have control over state policies about education, while those who have expertise about environmental protection have control over environmental policies.

Example: Although there are no governments that are officially recognized as technocracies, the European Union has been described as a technocracy because its leaders are often chosen based on their expertise.

Theocracy Government

Theocracies are defined by the rule of religious leaders under the guidance of religious beliefs and laws. Religion thus plays a paramount role in theocracies, and people who live under theocratic governments are expected to abide by the religious rules advocated by the state.

Example: Since 1979, Iran has been ruled by a theocratic government, as certain Iranian religious leaders have held supreme authority.

Dictatorship

A dictatorship is yet another form of non-democratic government, one which is characterized by the rule of a single individual called a dictator. Dictators wield total control over the state and often rule with impunity as they are accountable to no one. Dictatorships also often coincide with totalitarianism.

Example: The modern state of North Korea is a dictatorship.

Colonialist Government

Colonialist governments are governments set up by colonial powers to rule over a colonized region. Under colonialism, states take control of foreign regions in order to settle them or to economically exploit them. Although colonialist governments are no longer widely seen, this type of government was prominent in the 18th and 19th centuries during European colonialism.

Example: European powers like Spain and Great Britain historically managed colonialist governments across regions like the Americas and Africa.

Aristocratic Government

Aristocratic government is another type of government which was important historically. In this system of government, the state is ruled by the aristocracy, the socioeconomic class that was composed of the nobility.

Example: Before the French Revolution, France was ruled by the nobility under an aristocratic government.

This lesson has shown how to differentiate democratic forms of government from non-democratic forms, as democratic governments derive authority from the people while non-democratic governments do not. Some forms of government exert severe control over the lives of citizens, as seen in totalitarian governments, while others demand unquestioned obedience to the government, as seen in authoritarian governments. Monarchies and oligarchies are other important forms of government that have been discussed in this lesson.