by Carol L. Robinson
Kent State University
Many of these types of government can be merged with other types of government to form a single form of government.
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- Capitalism: People can own their own business and property, privately, but usually pay taxes from some of the money they make. Most capitalist governments provide their own education, health, and welfare services.
- Communism: The government owns businesses and farms and provides healthcare, education, and welfare services.
- Despotism: The government is run by a single leader, and subjects of this government are considered to be that single leader’s slaves.
- Socialism: People own business and property together, publicly, providing free access to basic life necessities like food, housing, and healthcare.
- Fascism: a far-right form of government in which most of the country’s power is held by one ruler or a small group, under a single party (totalitarian and authoritarian).
- Authoritarian State: The government seeks to suffocate politics and political activity. The government The government is run by only one political party (no competition with other parties, ever), often run by a dictator; social and economic institutions are not necessarily under government control.
- Totalitarian State: The government seeks to control politics and political activity. The government is run by only one political party (no competition with other parties, ever), often run by a dictator; social and economic institutions are under government control. It is the most tyrannical type of authoritarian systems.
- Dictatorship: A country ruled by a single, un-elected leader who has full power over the country.
- Federal: A central government shares power with a number of small local governments.
- Republic: A country that has no monarch and the head of the country is usually an elected president.
- Democracy: A central government elected by the people.
- Plutocracy: A central government composed of the wealthy class.
- Oligarchy: A Central government ruled by a small group of people who share similar interests, family relations, and/or values.
- Autocracy: Power typically held by one person or a small group of people
- Monarchy: Governmental power controlled by a king or queen, who has inherited the role and expects to pass it onto their heir.
- Theocracy: Governmental power and religious power are linked together to be one and the same
- Anarchy: A situation where there is no government.
- The Anarchical Society: A Study of Order in World Politics (Hedley Bull)
Hedley Bull coined the term “neomedievalism” to define some contemporary economic structures.
Every Form of Government Explained in 8 Minutes
Medieval Feudalism, Explained
