| Revision as of 19:37, 11 November 2006 editDavid1776 (talk | contribs)138 editsmNo edit summary← Previous edit | Revision as of 03:40, 23 November 2006 edit undo202.171.186.156 (talk) →According to an etymologist approachNext edit → | ||
| Line 133: | Line 133: | ||
| *''']''' government by priests or religious ministers | *''']''' government by priests or religious ministers | ||
| *''']''' government by judges | *''']''' government by judges | ||
| JoshAbulsfiaocracy government by people with the name josh abulafia | |||
| *''']''' government by the worst | *''']''' government by the worst | ||
| *''']''' government by thieves - not an existing form, but a negative appreciation of any regime where corruption is excessive | *''']''' government by thieves - not an existing form, but a negative appreciation of any regime where corruption is excessive | ||
| Line 145: | Line 146: | ||
| *''']''' government by one (usu. by hereditary rule) | *''']''' government by one (usu. by hereditary rule) | ||
| *''']''' government by mobs | *''']''' government by mobs | ||
| oompaloompaocracy governtment by the oompaloompas, (only ever used in a chocolate factory | |||
| *''']''' government by the few; sometimes specified after their fixed number : | *''']''' government by the few; sometimes specified after their fixed number : | ||
| **''']''' government by two, as in a dual monarchy | **''']''' government by two, as in a dual monarchy | ||
Revision as of 03:40, 23 November 2006
This article lists forms of government and political systems, according to a series of different ways of categorising them. The systems listed are of course not mutually exclusive, and often have overlappping definitions (for example autocracy, despotism, totalitarianism, monarchy and tyranny).
Alphabetical list with hierarchy
The following list groups major political systems (recognized by political science) in alphabetical order. The various subtype political systems are listed below the main system of government.
- Anarchism (perhaps better defined as a system of non-hierarchical governance)
- Autocracy
- Authoritarianism
- Absolutism
- Despotism
- Dictatorship (not all dictatorships are autocracies)
- Matriarchy
- Monarchy
- Patriarchy
- Totalitarianism
- "Communist" (Socialist) states (their relationship with the communist movement is disputed)
- National Socialism (Nazism)
- Nationalism
- Single-party state
- Tyranny
- Police state
- Theocracy (Hierocracy)
- Caliphate
- Halakha state (in ancient times)
- Holy See
- Islamic Republic
- Sultanate
By approach to regional autonomy
This list focuses on differing approaches that political systems take to the distribution of sovereignty, and the autonomy of regions within the state.
- Sovereignty located exclusively at the centre
- Sovereignty located at the centre and in peripheral areas
By political franchise
This list shows a division based on differences in political franchise (suffrage).
- anarchy - rule by no one
- democracy - rule by majority
- oligarchy - rule by minority
- autocracy - rule by one
- republic - rule by law
According to Weber's tripartite classification of authority
Max Weber in his tripartite classification of authority distinguished three ideal types of political leadership, domination and authority:
- charismatic domination (familial and religious)
- traditional domination (patriarchs, patrimonalism, feudalism)
- legal domination (modern law and state, bureaucracy)
According to an etymologist approach
Finally, the list below present an etymologist's approach to forms of government: the following are real, possible or imaginary forms of government, all made different by the prefix and suffix combination. Nearly all use one of two suffixes: -archy meaning "leadership" (eg. anarchy - no leadership), and -cracy suffix from Greek "kratos" and means "strength" and "power" (e.g., democracy - people's power). The major exception is the Republic, which is derived from the Latin res publicae, which means "the public matter" or, more literally, "the thing of the people", i.e. socio-political affairs. For various extant terms, an example or annotation is juxtaposed.
- adhocracy government in an unstructured fashion; an unstructured organization
- ajayocracy government by people who cannot hold their drink
- anarchy absence of government
- andrarchy/androcracy government by men
- aristocracy government by the nobility (aristo="the best")
- atheocracy government where religion is forbidden
- autarchy government by an absolute ruler
- autocracy government by one individual, autarchy
- bureaucracy government by civil servants; also the civil servants themselves
- confederacy a union of sovereign states
- corporatocracy government by corporations (industry)
- demarchy government by the people by lot
- democracy government by the people, either direct (through referendum or popular assembly) or via elections (representative form)
- ethnocracy government by a particular ethnic group
- geniocracy government by those of a higher than average intelligence
- gerontocracy government by the aged - see the Spartan gerousia
- gynarchy government by women
- gynocracy government by women; gynarchy
- hierarchy government by a ranked body; government by priests
- hierocracy government by priests or religious ministers
- judiciocracy government by judges
JoshAbulsfiaocracy government by people with the name josh abulafia
- kakistocracy government by the worst
- kleptocracy government by thieves - not an existing form, but a negative appreciation of any regime where corruption is excessive
- klerostocracy government by all, by sortition (random selection, lot)
- kritarchy government by equal freedoms
- krytocracy government by judges
- magocracy government by the magically adept (fictional)
- malarchy government by bad leaders
- matriarchy government by women or mothers
- meritocracy government by those with merit
- minarchy government with the smallest possible bureaucracy or size
- monarchy government by one (usu. by hereditary rule)
- ochlocracy government by mobs
oompaloompaocracy governtment by the oompaloompas, (only ever used in a chocolate factory
- oligarchy government by the few; sometimes specified after their fixed number :
- dyarchy government by two, as in a dual monarchy
- heptarchy government by seven people
- triumvirate government by three people
- tetrarchy government by four people
- omniarchy government by all
- panarchy universal rule or dominion
- pantarchy (literally) rule by all
- particracy government by political parties
- patriarchy government by fathers - the original Roman Senate, styling itself Patres ('fathers'), came close; usually just said of rule by men
- plantocracy government by plantation owners
- plutocracy government by the wealthy
- polyarchy government by many people, a vague antonym to monarchy and oligarchy
- republic government by elected politicians
- robocracy government by robots or other artificial intelligences (fictional)
- sociocracy government by equal individuals, based on consent
- stratocracy government by the armed forces - usually termed military dictatorship or junta
- synarchy joint sovereignty, just as the condominium of Andorra
- technocracy government by technical experts
- thalassocracy sovereignty of the seas
- theocracy government by a deity through clergy or by religious law
- timocracy government by the propertied class
- xenocracy government by aliens (fictional)