Once we know what government is for, the next question is who holds power. Since Aristotle, writers have sorted governments by whether one person, a few people or the many rule.
| Who rules | Form | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| One | Monarchy | A king or queen, usually by inheritance. An absolute monarch has unlimited power; a constitutional monarch reigns under laws made by an elected parliament. |
| One | Dictatorship | One leader holds power by force or by setting aside the rules, with no real way for the people to remove him. |
| A few | Oligarchy | A small group, often defined by wealth, family, party or military rank, holds power. |
| The many | Direct democracy | Citizens vote on laws themselves, as in ancient Athens' assembly or a New England town meeting. |
| The many | Representative democracy | Citizens elect people to make laws for them. |
| The many | Republic | Power rests with the people and is used by elected representatives; there is no hereditary monarch. |
Two more terms describe how much a government allows. An authoritarian state concentrates power and allows no real opposition or free elections. A totalitarian state goes further: a ruling party tries to control nearly every part of public and private life, as in Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union under Stalin.
Why it works
Key idea
Worked example: Classifying a government
- Who makes the laws? An elected parliament, so the people rule through representatives: a representative democracy.
- Is there a hereditary head of state? Yes, the queen, so it is a monarchy, but a constitutional one.
- A republic has no hereditary monarch, so this is not a republic.
Answer: A constitutional monarchy that is also a representative democracy (not a republic).
Worked example: Direct democracy inside a republic
- The voters themselves decide the law; no representative votes for them.
- That is direct democracy, used here within a representative system.
Answer: Direct democracy (within a representative democracy).
Common mistake