Governments Terms

A political system in which the people play a much greater role in deciding who the rulers are and what decisions are made; "people power".

• oligarchy
• democracy
• unitary
• autocracy

A form of government in which the people vote for legislators; one of the legislators becomes the chief executive, sometimes called the prime minister.

• presidential democracy

• parliamentary democracy

• autocratic dictatorship

• constitutional monarchy

A leader who heads the military, enforces laws, and keeps a country running day to day.

• chief executive

• chief of staff

• commander in chief

• chieftain

A government in which one ruler has absolute power to do whatever he/she wishes and make and enforce whatever laws he/she chooses; government by one.

• confederation

• autocracy

• oligarchy

• democracy

King or queen has absolute power

• Constitutional monarchy

• Autocratic monarchy

• Autocratic dictatorship

• Republic

No rule, no government! Often results in violence or chaos!

• Monarchy

• Dictatorship

• Autocracy

• Anarchy

No king or queen. Might be democratic (like the USA) or might be autocratic (like the USSR)

• Monarchy

• Republic

• Presidential democracy

• Parliamentary democracy

People vote for legislators AND chief executive

• Presidential democracy

• Parliamentary democracy

• Republic

• Autocracy

King or queen has no real power, only symbolic and based on tradition. Untied Kingdom has this form of government.

• Monarchy

• Autocratic monarchy

• Republic

• Constitutional monarchy

Ruler has all the power and seizes it with force. Has the support of the army. Hitler ruled this way.

• Autocratic monarchy

• Presidential democracy

• Autocratic dictatorship

• Anarchy