A Simple Overview Of The Different Forms Of Government

An image showing the difference between authoritarian and democratic governments (via CFR Education).

By definition, all governments share the same goal: to lead and protect their people. However, every government has different methods when it comes to achieving this goal. In fact, some governments don’t even consider that as their main goal. How governments interpret, prioritize, and deal with factors like security and freedom determines the kinds of policies they implement. These factors mean different things to different governments. For example, some governments define freedom as prioritizing complete individual liberty, whereas others define freedom as prioritizing the collective well-being of their country. Hence, these differing perspectives result in different kinds of government. 

We often hear about the various types of government, but what are they, and how exactly do they work?

Democratic Governments

Democratic governments are systems in which the people choose their own leaders through voting. The idea of a democratic government is to promote the common good of the country’s citizens. Common good is the idea that governments try to make decisions that are beneficial to the majority of their citizens. Democracy is about rights, equality, and liberty; it’s based on the belief that a right is something a person should have access to regardless of their appearance or background (natural rights) and that liberty is a form of freedom that cannot be taken from an individual. 

However, there is a flaw to this type of government. Because democratic governments are designed to represent the majority of their citizens, groups of minorities are often underrepresented in these types of societies. 

Autocratic Governments (Dictatorships)

Unlike in democratic systems, in which the government serves the people, the people are the ones serving autocratic governments. These are run by one powerful, autocratic figure that doesn’t respect the rights of their citizens. The one in power is usually called a monarch, dictator, prime minister, or president. However, although some of these titles may seem familiar, they’re not similar to democratic governments because of their strict and questionable practices.

One of the main goals of autocracies is to preserve power. To maintain order, they often limit individual freedom to prevent rebellions or opposition from arising. These governments typically have heavy control over their people, even monitoring and censoring mass media.

Autocratic countries also argue that their practices allow for sustainable economic growth. They claim that while democratic governments can guarantee certain freedoms, they struggle to pass laws and promote economic growth. Although economic policies can be implemented more easily in autocratic regimes than in democracies, the lack of political accountability can hinder their ability to change harmful policies.

Oligarchic Governments

Similar to an autocracy, an oligarchy is also a type of authoritarian government where all the power is concentrated in one place. Rather than it being in the hands of one person, however, the power is held by a small elite class in society, who handle all of the politics and laws. They have excessive control and don’t listen to feedback from the general population. In an oligarchy, the small elite groups usually gain power from either inheriting it or accumulating wealth. They use their status to maintain their own privileges and access to wealth, often with little to no regard for the common people. This can result in limited rights for citizens, inequality, suppression of dissent, and lack of transparency from the government. While oligarchic governments have some stability, they are often guilty of unfair or unethical practices, limiting political competition, and corrupting society.

The three most well-known types of oligarchies are stratocracy, plutocracy, and theocracy. A stratocracy is one where military chiefs have the most power; in a plutocracy, wealthy people hold the most power; finally, in a theocracy, the power is held by top religious leaders.

Monarchical Governments

A monarchy is ruled by a leader, such as a king, who has gained their position through inheritance (hereditary). There are two different types of monarchies: absolute and constitutional. An absolute monarch controls the entire government, and political parties are banned. Constitutional monarchies, on the other hand, are a little more complicated than that. There are actually two types of constitutional monarchies: executive and ceremonial. In an executive constitutional monarchy, the monarch has a lot of power, but it is limited by a constitution. Meanwhile, in a ceremonial constitutional monarchy, although still bound by a constitution, the monarch has very little power and mainly performs ceremonial duties. 

An example of an absolute monarchy is Saudi Arabia, where King Salman from the Saud Dynasty holds total power over the government. He and his family fully control everything, including foreign policy, education, and the legal system. On the other hand, Monaco has an executive constitutional monarchy. Prince Albert II of Monaco shares his power with a national council, and while he has significant influence over decisions, the opinions of elected officials are still taken into consideration when making laws and policies. Finally, an example of a ceremonial constitutional monarchy is the United Kingdom, with King Charles III as the monarch. The king attends formal duties such as opening Parliament and representing the country at royal events. However, the Prime Minister and Parliament hold the political power, and King Charles III does not participate often in government affairs.

Conclusion

Governments take on many forms and structures depending on the ideas they are built upon, the people in power, and how they want to serve their citizens. From the collective voices of the people in democracies to the authoritarian power in oligarchies, every form of government has advantages. However, they all have their own challenges and problems as well, although some have much more than others.

Some countries also use a blend of two types of government. For example, China can be described as both an autocracy and an oligarchy, as it has aspects that resemble both of them. Meanwhile, some governments may even use a system not discussed in this article. Understanding the different types of government will help us recognize how governments impact the lives of people around the world, both positively and negatively.