All citizens have a chance to participate. The people directly control the laws because every citizens of a certain age (usually over 18 or 21) and group (usually men or men who own property) can be part of the government at some point in their lives. They write laws, submit them, vote on them – there is no difference between the people and the government.

• Representative Democracy

• Absolute Monarchy

• Theocracy

• Direct Democracy

• Dictatorship

In this government people elect leaders who then write and vote on the laws for their society. These leaders are responsible for making laws that the rest of the citizens want, and if they don’t serve the people, the citizens will not vote again for them.

• Representative Democracy

• Constitutional Monarchy

• Anarchy

• Absolute Monarchy

• Theocracy

Kings, queens, princes, princesses, sultans, Tsars (Czars), and other titles that refer to a leader whose family possesses the absolute (total) power in a nation. These monarchs have lifetime power and when they die, power is usually passed to the oldest direct male child of the monarch (if no male child is alive, it may pass to either a brother or cousin of the monarch or to his oldest daughter).

• Monarchy

• Dictatorship

• Democracy

• Anarchy

In this forms of government, power is not inherited, but usually taken by force. The ruler has absolute power and because his power is not guaranteed. They usually use repression (limiting people’s freedoms and opinions) and need a strong military.

• Monarchy

• Democracy

• Dictatorship

• Theocracy

the religion is the laws for the whole society. Most religions have a set of rules or laws, and to enforce these rules or laws, there must be a strong government that is controlled by religious leaders. There might be a king, or elected officials, but the religious leaders always have the most power.

• Oilgarchy

• Dictatorship

• Monarchy

• Theocracy

This form of government involves two or more people who control a nation usually by military force (called a military junta), rich/elite families (an aristocracy), or religious leaders. They usually have to discuss and make decisions as a group where everyone is happy with the decisions. These forms of government don’t usually last too long because one person usually wants more power.

• Democracy

• Theocracy

• Oligarchy

• Anarchy

this means no government – any rules are just whatever traditions people in the society have, but there is no one person or group of people who gets to decide what are the actual rules, what is fair, or who should be punished for breaking rules

• Monarchy

• Anarchy

• Oligrachy

• Dictatorship

In Saudi Arabia there is a King who inherited his position by birth and rules with complete control.

• Representative Democracy

• Direct Democracy

• Constitutional Monarchy

• Absolute Monarchy

In Sweden, there is a king who inherited his power through birth but there is also a Constitution which limits the power of the king.

• Constitutional Monarchy

• Direct Democracy

• Absolute Monarchy

• Representative Democracy

Many small island nations or African tribes are set up where the citizens directly make all their decisions.

• Constitutional Monarchy

• Oligarchy

• Absolute Monarchy

• Direct Democracy