Basic Types of Government

When it comes to types of government, five specific types come to the forefront. Most forms of government are some variation of one of these.

Authoritarian

In an authoritarian regime, the government has total control. Authoritarian regimes have typically earned this control by forceful means.

While this seems pretty cut and dried, it is anything but. Authoritarian regimes aren’t always easy to recognize.

They might still hold elections and have branches of government, but only a small group holds the power, not the people. A good worldly example of an authoritarian government is Cuba.

Democracy

Another big government type is democracy, which is an example of a limited government.

In direct contrast to an authoritarian government, a democracy exists when the people hold the power.

Different types of democracy include direct and representative. If you’ve ever wondered about the United States’ government type, democracy is your answer. But they’re not the only example of democracy in the world.

Canada, Sweden, and Columbia are a few other examples.

Monarchy

A monarchy isn’t as common as a democracy, but you still hear about them. In a monarchy, one family rules the roost, so to speak. And their title is passed down through the generations.

However, much like a democracy, who is in charge isn’t totally cut and dried.

In an absolute monarchy, the king or ruler is in control of all the government.

The more common constitutional monarchy has a royal family, but they serve mostly as ceremonial figures.

As an example, think of the United Kingdom and Queen Elizabeth. She is the queen, but the parliament has most government control.