Political Systems
Monarchy Definition: A government in which power is in the hands of a single person(king); rule is hereditary Current Examples: Absolute: Oman, Saudi Arabia, Swaziland Constitutional: UK, Thailand, Spain
Anarchy Definition: A state of society without government or law; a philosophy which rejects government; OR disorder due to the absence of government control Past examples: Somalia (1999-2013) Current examples: Syria?
Theocracy Definition: A government controlled by religious leaders; a government where the ruler is viewed as a divine figure Past examples: Egypt Current examples: Iran
Aristocracy Definition: A government where power is in hands of hereditary ruling class or nobility; social status and wealth support rulers’ authority Past Examples: Athens prior to 594 BC Current Examples: None
Democracy Definition: a government controlled by its citizens Direct: citizens are involved in the government directly Representative: citizens elect representatives which are involved in the government Current Exs: Brazil, US, Switzerland