P019.01 Structured overview

I. Democratic forms of government

1. Direct democracy – citizens decide for themselves
2. Representative (indirect) democracy – elected representatives decide
3. Parliamentary democracy – government dependent on parliament
4. Presidential democracy – president as strong executive
5. Semi-presidential democracy – power shared between president and prime minister
6. Federal democracy – power shared between central government and regions
7. Participatory democracy – Extended citizen participation
8. Consensus democracy – Decisions made through compromise and reconciliation
9. Deliberative democracy – Decisions made through public debate
10. E-democracy – Digital forms of participation

II. Monarchical forms of government

1. Absolute monarchy – Monarch rules without restriction
2. Constitutional monarchy – Monarch limited by constitution
3. Parliamentary monarchy – monarch is only representative
4. Hereditary monarchy – succession to the throne through inheritance
5. Elective monarchy – monarch is elected
6. Federal monarchy – regions under local monarchs
7. Dual monarchy – two monarchs share power
8. Theocratic monarchy – monarch as religious leader

III. Republican forms of government (not necessarily democratic)

1. Parliamentary republic
2. Presidential republic
3. Semi-presidential republic
4. Federal republic
5. Centralised republic

IV. Dictatorial/authoritarian forms of government

1. Military dictatorship
2. One-party dictatorship
3. Personal dictatorship
4. Authoritarian dictatorship
5. Totalitarian dictatorship
6. Civil dictatorship
7. Theocratic dictatorship
8. Monarchical dictatorship
9. Ideological dictatorship
10. Oligarchic dictatorship

V. Informal or structural forms of power

(often not official, but effectively real)

1. Plutocracy – rule by the rich
2. Oligarchy – rule by a small elite
3. Kleptocracy – rule through systematic enrichment
4. Technocracy – rule by experts
5. Meritocracy – rule by the most capable
6. Bureaucracy – rule by the administration
7. Corporatocracy – rule by large corporations
8. Mediocracy – power through media control
9. Gerontocracy – rule by the elderly
10. Stratocracy – rule by the military

VI. Mixed and special forms

1. Hybrid regime – mixture of democracy and authoritarianism
2. Illiberal democracy – elections without genuine civil liberties
3. Pseudo-democracy – formally democratic, but controlled in practice
4. Clan or tribal rule
5. Council or Soviet democracy
6. Consensus-based tribal democracy

Key insight (important):

Most states are mixed forms.

The official constitution often does not say

how power is actually exercised.

Democracy ≠ no elites

Monarchy ≠ no democracy

Republic ≠ freedom

Plutocracy ≠ formal form of government, but effective in reality