View source for List of forms of government

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{{More citations needed|date=December 2021}}
{{Basic Forms of government}}
{{Politics sidebar|expanded=Subseries}}
This article lists forms of [[government]] and [[political system]]s, which are not [[mutually exclusive]], and often have much in common.<ref name="academicinfluence.com">{{Cite web |last1=Tomar |first1=Dave |last2=Barham |first2=James |date=30 August 2021 |title=25 Forms of Government—A Study Starter &#124; Academic Influence |url=https://academicinfluence.com/inflection/study-guides/forms-of-government-study-starter |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=academicinfluence.com}}</ref> According to [[Yale]] professor [[Juan José Linz]] there are three main types of political systems today: [[democracies]], 
[[totalitarian regimes]] and, sitting between these two, [[authoritarian regimes]] with [[hybrid regimes]].<ref name="LinzLinz2000">{{cite book | author1 = [[Juan José Linz]] | date = 2000 | title = Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes | publisher =Lynne Rienner Publisher | pages = 143| isbn = 978-1-55587-890-0 | oclc = 1172052725 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=8cYk_ABfMJIC&pg=PA143}}</ref><ref name="Michie2014">{{cite book | editor = Jonathan Michie | date = 3 February 2014 | title = Reader's Guide to the Social Sciences | publisher = Routledge | page = 95 | isbn = 978-1-135-93226-8 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ip_IAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA95}}</ref> Another modern classification system includes [[monarchies]] as a standalone entity or as a hybrid system of the main three.<ref name="Garcia-AlexanderWooCarlson2017">{{cite book | author1 = Ginny Garcia-Alexander | author2 = Woo | author3 = Matthew J. Carlson | date = 3 November 2017 | title = Social Foundations of Behavior for the Health Sciences | publisher = Springer | pages = 137– | isbn = 978-3-319-64950-4 | oclc = 1013825392 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=y-M8DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA137}}</ref> Scholars generally refer to a [[dictatorship]] as either a form of authoritarianism or totalitarianism.<ref name="ToddWaller2015">{{cite book | editor1 = Allan Todd | editor2 = Sally Waller | author1 = Allan Todd | author2 = Sally Waller | date = 10 September 2015 | title = History fo States 20th Century) | publisher = Cambridge University Press | pages = 10– | isbn = 978-1-107-55889-2 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=y_pfCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA10}}</ref><ref name="LinzLinz2000"/><ref name="Sondrol">{{Cite journal |last1 = Sondrol |first1 = P. C. |s2cid = 144333167 |title = Totalitarian and Authoritarian Dictators: A Comparison of Fidel Castro and Alfredo Stroessner |journal = Journal of Latin American Studies |volume = 23 |issue = 3 |year = 2009 |pages = 599–620 |doi = 10.1017/S0022216X00015868|jstor = 157386 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/157386|url-access = subscription }}</ref>

The ancient Greek philosopher [[Plato]] discusses in the ''[[Republic (Plato)|Republic]]'' five types of regimes: [[aristocracy]], [[timocracy]], [[oligarchy]], [[democracy]], and [[Tyrant|tyranny]]. 
<ref name="Abjorensen2019">{{cite book | author = Norman Abjorensen | date = 15 June 2019 | title = Historical Dictionary of Democracy | publisher = Rowman & Littlefield | pages = 288– | isbn = 978-1-5381-2074-3 | oclc = 1081354236 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=cNSSDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA288}}</ref> The question raised by Plato in the ''Republic'': What kind of state is best? Generational changes informed by new political and cultural beliefs, technological progress, values and morality over millenniums have resulted in considerable shifts in the belief about the origination of political authority, who may participate in matters of state, how people might participate, the determination of what is just, and so forth.

==Basic forms of governments==
{{Further|Mixed government}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Systems of government can be divided into two main categories, democratic and non-democratic<ref name="Altman2010">{{cite book | author = David Altman | date = 20 December 2010 | title = Direct Democracy Worldwide | publisher = Cambridge University Press | pages = 76–78 | isbn = 978-1-139-49543-1 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=2UG8E0iLOaIC&pg=PA76}}</ref>
|-
| Democratic || [[Direct democracy|Direct Democracy]], [[Representative democracy|Representative Democracy]] ([[Republic|Republic Government]], [[Parliamentary system|Parliamentary Government]]), [[Constitutional monarchy]]
|-
| Non-Democratic || [[Authoritarianism|Authoritarian]], [[Totalitarianism|Totalitarian]], [[Oligarchy]], [[Technocracy]], [[Theocracy]], [[Dictatorship]], [[Absolute monarchy]]
|-
| Other Types|| [[Colonialism|Colonialist]], [[Aristocracy|Aristocratic]]
|}
'''Index of Forms of Government.'''<ref name="academicinfluence.com"/>
[[File:Democracy claims.svg|thumb|upright=1.4|Countries in green '''claim''' to be a type of [[democracy]] while countries in red do not. Only [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Oman]], the [[United Arab Emirates|UAE]], [[Qatar]], [[Brunei]], [[Afghanistan]], and the [[Vatican City|Vatican]] do not claim to be democratic.]]
{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
*[[Anarchy]]
*[[Aristocracy]]
*[[Authoritarianism]]
*[[Bureaucracy]]
*[[Capitalism]]
*[[Confederation]]
*[[Confessional state]]
*[[Colonialism]]
*[[Communism]]
*[[Corporatocracy]]
*[[Democracy]]
*[[Ecclesiastical polity|Ecclesiocracy]]
*[[Electocracy]]
*[[#Types of democracy|Ergatocracy]]
*[[Fascism]]
*[[Federalism]]
*[[Feudalism]]
*[[Geniocracy]]
*[[Gerontocracy]]
*[[Imperialism]]
*[[Kakistocracy]]
*[[Kleptocracy]]
*[[Logocracy]]
*[[Meritocracy]]
*[[Military dictatorship|Military Dictatorship]]
*[[Monarchy]]
*[[Oligarchy]]
*[[Plutocracy]]
*[[Republicanism]]
*[[Socialism]]
*[[Statism]]
*[[Technocracy]]
*[[Theocracy]]
*[[Totalitarianism]]
*[[Tribalism]]
}}

== Forms of government by regional control ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Term
!Definition
!width=200pt|Examples
|-
|[[Confederation]]
|A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign states, united for purposes of common action often in relation to other states. Usually created by a [[treaty]], confederations of states are usually established for dealing with critical issues, such as defense, foreign relations, internal trade or currency, with the [[Central government|general government]] being required to provide support for all its members. Confederation represents a main form of inter-governmental-ism, this being defined as "any form of interaction between states which takes place on the basis of sovereign independence or government." Confederation is almost as a federation with the federal government being as a combination or alliance of all the states.<ref> {{cite web | date=2019 |title=Confederation/Politics |url= https://www.britannica.com/topic/confederation-politics |website=Encyclopedia Britannica | access-date=8 Dec 2025}}</ref>
|
*{{Flagicon image|Flag_of_the_Iroquois_Confederacy.svg}} [[Iroquois|Haudenosaunee Confederacy]]
*{{flag|European Union}}
*{{flagicon|United States|variant=1777}} [[Confederation period|United States (1781–1789)]] <ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=9 April 2021 |title=Articles of Confederation (1777) |url= https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/articles-of-confederation#page-header |website=National Archives |publisher=Us Government |access-date=8 November 2025}}</ref>
*{{Flagicon|Switzerland}} [[The Old Swiss Confederacy]] (c. 1300–1798)
*
*{{Flagicon image|Flag of Yugoslavia (1992–2003); Flag of Serbia and Montenegro (2003–2006).svg}} [[Serbia and Montenegro]] (2003–2006)
* [[Senegambia Confederation]] (1982–1989)
|-
|[[Federation]]
|A federation (also known as a federal state) is a [[political entity]] characterized by a [[Political union|union]] of partially [[Federated state|self-governing states]] or regions under a central (federal) government. In a federation, the self-governing status of the component states, as well as the division of power between them and the central government, is typically constitutionally entrenched and may not be altered by a unilateral decision of either party, the states or the federal political body. Alternatively, federation is a form of government in which sovereign power is formally divided between a central authority and a number of constituent regions so that each region retains some degree of control over its internal affairs.
|
*{{Flagicon|Ethiopia}} [[Ethiopia]]
*{{Flagicon|Germany}} [[Germany]]
*{{Flagicon|Mexico}} [[Mexico]]
*{{Flagicon|Malaysia}} [[Malaysia]]
*{{Flagicon|Nigeria}} [[Nigeria]]
*{{Flagicon|United States}} [[United States]]
*{{Flagicon|India}} [[India]]
|-
|[[Unitary state]]
|A unitary state is a [[State (polity)|state]] governed as a single power in which the [[central government]] is ultimately supreme and any [[administrative division]]s (sub-national units) exercise only the powers that the central government chooses to delegate. The majority of states in the world have a unitary system of government. Of the 193 [[Member states of the United Nations|UN member states]], 165 are governed as unitary states.
|
*{{Flag|China}}
*{{Flag|Indonesia}}
*{{Flag|Philippines}}
*{{Flag|France}}
*{{Flag|Egypt}}
*{{Flag|United Kingdom}}
*{{Flag|Peru}}
|}

==Forms of government by power source==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Term
!Description
!width=200pt|Examples
|-
|[[Autocracy]]
|Autocracy is a [[Government|system of government]] in which supreme [[power (social and political)]] is concentrated in the hands of one person or [[polity]], whose decisions are subject to neither external legal restraints nor regularized mechanisms of popular control (except perhaps for the implicit threat of a [[coup d'état]] or mass [[insurrection]]). [[Absolute monarchies]] (such as [[Kingdom of Saudi Arabia]], the [[United Arab Emirates]], [[Oman]], [[Brunei]] and [[Eswatini]]) and [[dictatorships]] are the main modern-day forms of autocracy. In family dictatorships, political power is passed down within one family because of the overwhelming authority of the leader. For example, in [[Duvalier dynasty|Haiti]] a form of hereditary dictatorship was founded by [[François Duvalier]] (''Papa Doc''); it operated much like an absolute monarchy, yet within a nominally republican state. In 1971, [[Jean-Claude Duvalier]] (''Baby Doc'') became Haiti's next [[President for life|dictator for life]] after his father's death. Both totalitarian and military dictatorships are often identified with, but need not be, an autocracy. 
|
*Most monarchies prior to the 18th century
*{{Flag|Kingdom of Saudi Arabia}}
*{{Flagicon|Haiti|1964}} [[Duvalier dynasty|Haiti]] (de facto, during Duvalier dynasty)
*{{Flag|Eritrea}}
*{{flag|Nazi Germany}} (1933–1945)
*{{Flag|Zaire}} (1971–1997)
*{{Flag|North Korea}} 
|-
|[[Oligarchy]]
|Oligarchy, meaning "rule of the few", is a form of [[power structure]] in which [[Power (social and political)|power]] rests with a small number of people. These people might be distinguished by [[nobility]], [[wealth]], [[family ties]], [[education]] or [[corporate]], [[religious]] or [[military]] control. Such states are often controlled by families who typically pass their influence from one [[generation]] to the next, but [[inheritance]] is not a necessary condition for the application of this term.
|
*{{Flagicon|Russia}} [[Russia]]
*{{Flagicon|South Africa|variant=1928}} [[Apartheid|South Africa (1948–1994)]]
*{{Flag|First Brazilian Republic}} (1894–1930)
|-
|[[Democracy]]
|Democracy, meaning "rule of the people", is a system of government in which the citizens exercise power directly or elect representatives from among themselves to form a governing body, such as a [[parliament]]. Democracy is sometimes referred to as "rule of the majority". Democracy is a system of processing conflicts in which outcomes depend on what participants do, but no single force controls what occurs and its outcomes. This does include citizens being able to vote for different laws and leaders.
|
*{{Flag|France}}
*{{Flag|Germany}}
*{{Flag|Cape Verde}}
*{{Flag|Chile}}
*{{Flag|Estonia}}
*{{Flag|Republic of Ireland}}
|-
|[[Anarchy]]
|Sometimes said to be non-governance; it is a structure which strives for non-hierarchical, voluntary associations among agents, emphasizing [[autonomy]] and [[decentralization]], often employing [[direct democracy]] or [[consensus democracy]].

Systems resembling anarchism can be a natural, temporary result of civil war in a country, when an established state has been destroyed and the region is in a transitional period without definitive leadership.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.peterleeson.com/Better_Off_Stateless.pdf|title=''Better off Stateless: Somalia Before and After Government Collapse''|date=30 September 2007|publisher=George Mason University}}</ref> It has also been proposed as a historical state of human society, especially before the concentration of power afforded by agriculture.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Graeber |first1=David |title=The dawn of everything: a new history of humanity |last2=Wengrow |first2=David |date=2021 |publisher=Allen Lane |isbn=978-0-241-40242-9 |location=London}}</ref> It has been presented as a viable long-term choice by individuals known as [[anarchists]] who oppose the state and other forms of [[Coercion|coercive]] hierarchies. These systems are often highly organized, and include institutional or cultural systems to prevent the concentration of power. Anarchism typically advocates for social organization in non-hierarchical, [[voluntary association]]s where people [[Mutual aid (organization theory)|voluntarily help each other]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/peter-gelderloos-anarchy-works#toc3|title=Anarchy Works by Peter Gelderloos|access-date=21 October 2016}}</ref> There are a variety of forms of anarchy that attempt to discourage the use of coercion, violence, force and authority, while still producing a productive and desirable society.
|
*{{Flagicon image|Strandzha_Commune.svg}} [[Strandzha Commune]] (1903)
*{{Flagicon image|Flag_of_Partido_Liberal_Mexicano.svg}} [[Morelos Commune]] (1913–1917)
*{{Flagicon image|Махновское знамя.svg}} [[Makhnovshchina]] (1918–1921)
*{{Flagicon image|Flag of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.svg}} [[Korean People's Association in Manchuria]] (1929–1931)
*{{Flagicon image|Flag of the CNT.svg}} [[Regional Defence Council of Aragon]] (1936–1937)
*{{Flagicon image|Bandera CNT-FAI.svg}} [[Revolutionary Catalonia]] (1936–1939)
*{{Flagicon image|Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional, Flag.svg}} [[Rebel Zapatista Autonomous Municipalities]] (1994–2023)
|}

=== Types of democracy ===
{{main|Types of democracy}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+
|-
!Term
!Description
!width=200pt|Examples
|-
| [[Sortition|Demarchy]]
| Government in which the state is governed by [[random selection|randomly selected]] decision from a broadly inclusive pool of eligible citizens. These groups, sometimes termed "policy juries", "citizens' juries", or "consensus conferences", deliberately make decisions about public policies in much the same way that [[jury|juries]] decide criminal cases. Demarchy, in theory, could overcome some of the functional problems of conventional [[representative democracy]], which is widely subject to manipulation by [[special interests]] and a division between professional policymakers (politicians and lobbyists) vs. a largely passive, uninvolved and often uninformed electorate. According to Australian philosopher [[John Burnheim]], random selection of policymakers would make it easier for everyday citizens to meaningfully participate, and harder for special interests to corrupt the process.

More generally, random selection of decision makers from a larger group is known as [[sortition]] (from the Latin base for lottery). The [[Athenian democracy]] made much use of sortition, with nearly all government offices filled by lottery (of full citizens) rather than by election. Candidates were almost always male, Greek, educated citizens holding a minimum of wealth and status.
|
* [[Classical Athens|Ancient Athens]]<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Athenian democracy in the age of Demosthenes : structure, principles, and ideology |last=Hansen |first=Mogens Herman |date=1999 |publisher=Bristol Classical Press |isbn=1853995851 |edition=[2nd ed.] |location=[Bristol] |oclc=45392658}}</ref>
* Northern Italy and Venice (12th–18th century)<ref>{{Cite book |title=The political potential of sortition a study of the random selection of citizens for public office |last=Dowlen |first=Oliver |date=2008 |publisher=Imprint Academic |location=Exeter, UK; Charlottesville, VA |isbn=9781845401795 |oclc=213307148}}</ref>
|-
| [[Householder Franchise|Census democracy]]
| It is the suffrage in which the right to vote is restricted to only a part of the population, being in many cases wealthy class. This was the case in almost all existing democracies of the 18th and 19th centuries, although in the latter the right to vote was given to the [[working class]] and the [[lower middle class]] in countries like Great Britain, later in the 20th century the [[universal suffrage]] with the advent of voting rights for all people of the age of majority.
|
*{{Flag|Kingdom of Great Britain}} 
*{{Flagicon|United States}} Pre-[[John F. Kennedy|JFK]] [[United States]]
*{{Flagicon|Restoration (Spain)}} [[Restoration Spain]]
*{{Flagicon|France}} [[First French Empire]]
|-
| [[Direct democracy]]
| Government in which the people represent themselves and vote directly for new laws and public policy.
|
*{{Flag|Switzerland}} (semi-direct)
* [[Classical Athens|Ancient Athens]]<ref>{{cite web |last=Cartwright |first=Mark |date=3 April 2018 |title=Athenian Democracy |url=https://www.worldhistory.org/Athenian_Democracy |website=World History Encyclopedia|access-date=14 November 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Electocracy]]
| A form of [[representative democracy]] where citizens are able to vote for their government but cannot participate directly in governmental decision making. The government has almost absolute power.
|
*{{Flag|Iraq}}<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://archive.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/09/05/hypocrisy_in_sowing_democracy/ |title=Hypocrisy in sowing democracy |last=Greenway |first=H. D. S. |work=Boston.com |access-date=2019-07-13}}</ref>
*{{Flag|Thailand}} (before [[2006 Thai coup d'état|2006 coup d'état]])
|-
|Ergatocracy
|Rule by the [[proletariat]], the workers, or the working class. Examples of ergatocracy include communist revolutionaries and rebels who control most of society and establish an alternative economy for people and workers. See [[Dictatorship of the proletariat]].
|-
| [[Herrenvolk democracy]]
| A [[form of government]] in which only a specific ethnic group participates in government, while other ethnic groups are disenfranchised. Though elections may be free, voting suffrage is restricted based on race, with governance reflecting the interests of the politically dominant racial group.
|
*{{Flagicon|Confederate States of America}} [[Confederate States of America]]
*{{Flagicon|Union of South Africa}} [[Apartheid|Republic of South Africa (during Apartheid)]]
*{{Flag|Rhodesia}} (effectively though a form of census democracy)  
|-
| [[Liberal democracy]]
| A form of government in which [[representative democracy]] operates under the principles of [[liberalism]]. It is characterised by fair, free, and competitive [[election]]s between [[Pluralism (political philosophy)|multiple distinct]] [[Political party|political parties]], a [[separation of powers]] into different [[branches of government]], the [[rule of law]] in everyday life as part of an [[open society]], and the protection of [[human rights]] and [[civil liberties]] for all persons. To define the system in practice, liberal democracies often draw upon a [[constitution]], either formally written or [[Uncodified constitution|uncodified]], to delineate the powers of government and enshrine the [[social contract]]. After a period of sustained expansion throughout the 20th century, liberal democracy became the predominant political system in the world. A liberal democracy may take various constitutional forms: it may be a [[republic]], such as [[Estonia]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], [[Germany]], and [[Greece]]; or a [[constitutional monarchy]], such as the [[United Kingdom]], [[Japan]] or [[Spain]]. It may have a [[presidential system]] (such as [[Chile]], the [[Dominican Republic]], or the [[United States]]), a [[semi-presidential system]] (such as [[Cape Verde]], [[France]], or [[Portugal]]), a [[parliamentary system]] (such as [[Australia]], [[Germany]], [[Italy]], [[Slovenia]], [[India]] or [[New Zealand]]) or [[directorial system]] (such as [[Switzerland]]).
|
*{{Flag|Germany}}
*{{Flag|New Zealand}}
*{{Flag|Netherlands}}
*{{Flag|Taiwan}}
*{{Flag|Costa Rica}}
*{{Flag|Mauritius}}
*{{Flag|Uruguay}}
|-
|[[Liquid democracy]]
| Government in which the people represent themselves or choose to temporarily delegate their vote to another voter to vote for new laws and public policy.
|Experiments have mostly been conducted on a local level or exclusively through online platforms, such as by [[Pirate Party|Pirate Parties]]
|-
| [[Representative democracy]]
| Wherein the people or citizens of a country elect representatives to create and implement public policy in place of [[Direct democracy|direct participation by the people]].
|Almost all current democratic governments
|-
| [[Social democracy]]
| Elements of direct and representative democracies are combined in a form of [[participatory democracy]]. It also adopts a [[mixed economy]] combining the principles of a [[free-market]] and [[Economic interventionism|economic]] or [[social interventionism]]. 
Social democracy rejects the "either/or" phobiocratic/polarization interpretation of capitalism versus socialism. Social democracy argues that all citizens should be legally entitled to certain social rights. These are made up of universal access to public services such as: education, health care, workers' compensation, public transportation, and other services including child care and care for the elderly. Social democracy is connected with the trade union labour movement and supports collective bargaining rights for workers. Contemporary social democracy advocates freedom from discrimination based on differences of: ability/disability, age, ethnicity, sex, language, religion, and social class.
|
*{{Flag|Germany}}
*{{Flag|Austria}}<ref>{{Cite book |title=Handbuch der österreichischen Wirtschaftspolitik |language=de |trans-title=Handbook of Austrian Economic Policy |last=Abele |first=Hanns |publisher=Manz |year=1982 |isbn=3214070509 |location=Vienna |page=145 |oclc=10694901}}</ref>
*{{Flag|Sweden}}
*{{Flag|Norway}}
*{{Flag|Denmark}}
*{{Flag|Finland}}
*{{Flag|Iceland}}
*{{Flag|Czech Republic}}
*{{Flag|Lithuania}}
|-
| [[Soviet democracy]]
| The citizens are governed by directly elected councils. The councils are directly responsible to their electors and are bound by their instructions. Such an imperative mandate is in contrast to a free mandate, in which the elected delegates are only responsible to their conscience. Delegates may accordingly be dismissed from their post at any time or be voted out (recall).
|
*{{Flag|Russian Republic}}
*{{Flagicon|Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|1918}} The first years of the [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Russian Soviet Republic]]
|-
|[[Totalitarian democracy]]
| A form of electocracy in which lawfully elected representatives maintain the integrity of a nation state whose citizens, while granted the right to vote, have little or no participation in the decision-making process of the government.
|
*{{Flag|Democratic Kampuchea}}
|-
| [[Electoral autocracy]]
| A [[hybrid regime]], in which democratic institutions are imitative and adhere to authoritarian methods. In these regimes, regular elections are held, but they fail to reach democratic standards of freedom and fairness.
|
* {{Flag|Rwanda}}
* {{Flag|Uganda}}
* {{Flag|Algeria}}
|-
| [[E-democracy|Digital democracy]]
| The historical scaling problem and inherent inefficiencies of democracy may be resolved with advances in technology, most especially the rise of the Internet. In a digital democracy, specific questions would be formulated as referendums, and frequently put forth for public discussion and comment and voting. Citizens could read the arguments, offer their own, and vote on the matter, using readily-available technologies like smartphones.
|
* {{Flag|Estonia}}
|}

=== Types of oligarchy ===
[[Oligarchy|Oligarchies]] are societies controlled and organised by a small ''[[Social class|class]]'' of privileged people, with no intervention from the most part of society; this small elite is defined as sharing some common trait.

''[[De jure]]'' democratic governments with a ''[[de facto]]'' oligarchy are ruled by a small group of segregated, powerful or influential people who usually share similar interests or family relations. These people may spread power and elect candidates equally or not equally. An oligarchy is different from a true democracy because very few people are given the chance to change things. An oligarchy does not have to be hereditary or monarchic. An oligarchy does not have one clear ruler but several rulers. ([[Ancient Greek]] ὀλιγαρχία (oligarkhía) literally meant "rule by few")

Some historical examples of oligarchy include the [[Roman Republic]], in which only males of the nobility could run for office and only wealthy males could vote, and the [[Athenian democracy]], which used [[sortition]] to elect candidates, almost always male, Greek, educated citizens holding a minimum of land, wealth and status. Some critics of [[capitalism]] and/or [[representative democracy]] think of [[Oligarchy#United States|the United States and the United Kingdom as oligarchies]].

''These categories are not exclusive.''
{| class="wikitable"
|+
|-
!Term
!Definition
!width=200pt|Examples
|-
|[[Aristocracy]]
|Rule by the nobility; a system of governance where political power is in the hands of a small class of privileged individuals who claim a higher birth than the rest of society.<ref name=OED>{{cite encyclopedia |date=December 1989 |title=Aristocracy |dictionary=[[Oxford English Dictionary]] |url=http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50011987?single=1&query_type=word&queryword=aristocracy&first=1&max_to_show=10 |access-date=December 22, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629022358/http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50011987?single=1&query_type=word&queryword=aristocracy&first=1&max_to_show=10 |archive-date=June 29, 2011}}</ref>
|
* {{Flag|Holy Roman Empire}} (800/962–1806)
* {{Flag|Tsardom of Russia}} (1547-1721)
* {{Flag|Kingdom of France}} (843–1792)
|-
| [[Geniocracy]]
| A term invented by the founder of [[Raëlism]] and meaning rule by the intelligent; a system of governance where creativity, innovation, intelligence and wisdom are required for those who wish to govern. Comparable to noocracy.
|-
|Hamarchy
|The joint rule of different regions retaining their individuality; a system of government consisting of many distinct or independent parts that rule together.<ref>{{Cite book |last= Aldrich |first= Chris |title=The Aldrich Dictionary of Phobias and Other Word Families |year= 2002 |isbn= 1-55369-886-X |location= Victoria, Canada |pages=6 |language=EN |publisher= Trafford Publishing}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal
| url          = https://books.google.com/books?id=uNHbAAAAMAAJ
| journal      = The Journal of Christian Reconstruction | title = Francis Lieber's Theory of Institutional Liberty
| publisher    = Chalcedon Foundation
| date         = 1997
| volume       = 14
| page         = 169
| quote        = Lacking an English word [...], [[Francis Lieber|Lieber]] simply coined one, hamarchy, which he derived 'from ama, at the same time, jointly, cooperatingly, and ''archein'', to rule.'
}}
</ref>{{full citation needed|date=August 2024|reason=Needs title of paper within the journal, not just journal title}}
|-
| [[Kraterocracy]]
| Rule by the strong; a system of governance where those who are strong enough to seize power through physical force, social maneuvering or political cunning.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last= Hausheer |first= Herman |editor-last= Runes |editor-first= Dagobert D. |editor-link= Dagobert D. Runes |url= http://www.ditext.com/runes/k.html |entry= Kratocracy |title=Dictionary of Philosophy |year=1942}}</ref>
|-
|[[Kritarchy]]
|Rule by various judges, the ''kritarchs''; a system of governance composed of law-enforcement institutions in which the state and the [[legal system]]s are traditionally or [[constitution]]ally the same entity. The kritarchs, magistrates and other adjudicators have the legal power to legislate and administer the enforcement of government laws in addition to the interposition of laws and the resolution of disputes. (Not to be confused with ''"[[judiciary]]"'' or ''"[[judicial system]]"''.)
|
*{{Flag|Somalia}}
*[[Icelandic Commonwealth]]
|-
| [[Meritocracy]]
| Rule by the meritorious; a system of governance where groups are selected predicated on their ability, knowledge in a given area, and contributions to society.
|
*[[Rashidun Caliphate]]
*[[Asante Empire]]
*{{Flag|Singapore}}
|-
|[[Netocracy]]
|Rule by the digitally literate; a term invented by the editorial board of the American technology magazine ''Wired'' in the early 1990s. A portmanteau of "Internet" and "aristocracy", "netocracy" refers to a perceived global upper-class that bases its power on a technological advantage and networking skills, in comparison to what is portrayed as a bourgeoisie of a gradually diminishing importance. The netocracy concept has been compared with [[Richard Florida]]'s concept of the [[creative class]]. [[Alexander Bard|Bard]] and [[Jan Söderqvist|Söderqvist]] have also defined an under-class in opposition to the [[netocracy]], which they refer to as the "consumtariat".<ref>
{{cite book
 |last1                = Bard
 |first1               = Alexander
 |author-link1         = Alexander Bard
 |last2                = Söderqvist
 |first2               = Jan
 |author-link2         = Jan Söderqvist
 |translator-last1     = Smith
 |translator-first1    = Neil
 |date                 = 24 February 2012
 |orig-date            = 2000
 |title                = The Netocracts: Futurica Trilogy 1
 |url                  = https://books.google.com/books?id=TeWCBwAAQBAJ
 |publisher            = Stockholm Text
 |isbn                 = 9789187173004
 |access-date          = 9 March 2024
 |quote                = [...] the new underclass, the consumtariat (CONSUMer proleTARIAT) [...]
}} 
</ref>
|-
|Noocracy
|Rule by the wise; a system of governance in which decision making is in the hands of philosophers (as advocated by [[Plato]])
|-
| [[Plutocracy]]
| Rule by the wealthy; a system wherein governance is indebted to, dependent upon or heavily influenced by the desires of the rich. Plutocratic influence can alter any form of government. For instance, if a significant number of elected representative positions in a republic are dependent upon financial support from wealthy sources, it is a plutocratic republic.
|
*{{Flag|Dutch Republic}} (1588–1795)
*{{Flag|Republic of Venice}} (697–1797)
|-
|[[Particracy]]
|Rule by a dominant [[political party]] (or parties). 
|
*{{Flag|East Germany}} (1949–1990)
*{{Flag|South Africa}} 
|-
|[[Stratocracy]]
|Rule by military service; a system of governance composed of military government in which the state and the military are traditionally or [[constitution]]ally the same entity.<ref name="Bouvier">{{cite book |last1= Bouvier |first1= John |author1-link= John Bouvier |last2= Gleason |first2= Daniel A. |title= Institutes of American law |publisher= The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd |orig-date= 1851 |year= 1999 |page=7 |isbn=978-1-886363-80-9}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=de Grazia |first=Alfred |author-link=Alfred de Grazia |chapter=The Perennial Stratocrats |title=Kalos: What is to be done with our World? |date=1970 |url= http://www.grazian-archive.com/governing/kalos/Kalos_P04_C10.html |access-date= 25 May 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210525092222/http://www.grazian-archive.com/governing/kalos/Kalos_P04_C10.html |archive-date= 25 May 2021 |url-status= live}}</ref> Citizens with mandatory or voluntary active military service or who have been honorably discharged have the right to govern. (Therefore, stratocracy is not to be confused with "[[military junta]]" or "[[military dictatorship]]".)
|
*[[Sparta]] (900s–192 BC)
*{{Flag|Myanmar}}
|-
| [[Synarchism]]
|Rule by a secret élite; a form of government where political power effectively rests with a secret élite, in contrast to an oligarchy where the élite is or could be known by the public.
|
*{{Flag|British Hong Kong}} (1841–1997)
|-
| [[Technocracy]]
| Rule by the educated or by technical experts; a system of governance where people who are skilled in their respective areas of expertise control decision-making. In a technocracy, experts in the technical details of specific issues are presumed to best understand the problems at hand, as well as how various technological redresses can improve the society at large. Doctors, engineers, scientists, professionals and technologists who have prowess would compose the governing body instead of politicians, businessmen and economists.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Ernst R. |last=Berndt |url= http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/2023/SWP-1353-09057784.pdf |title=From Technocracy To Net Energy Analysis: Engineers, Economists And Recurring Energy Theories Of Value |journal= Studies in Energy and the American Economy |number= Discussion Paper No. 11 |publisher=[[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] |date=September 1982}}</ref> In a technocracy, decision-makers would be selected based upon how knowledgeable and skilful they are in their field. Technocracy is today represented by global algorithmic governance by Silicon Valley engineers. This recent form of technocracy has been called 'digitocracy'.<ref>{{cite journal |first= Alfonso |last= Ballesteros |title= Digitocracy: Ruling and Being Ruled |journal= Philosophies |volume= 5 |number=9 |publisher=MDPI |date=June 2020|page=9 |doi= 10.3390/philosophies5020009 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
|
*{{Flag|Soviet Union}} (1953–1991)
|-
|[[Theocracy]]
|Rule by a religious elite; a system of governance composed of religious institutions in which the state and the church are traditionally or [[constitution]]ally the same entity. Theocracy contrasts with caesaropapism, a form of government in which church and state form an alliance dominated by the secular power.
|
*{{Flag|Vatican City}}
*{{Flag|Abbasid Caliphate}} (1261–1517)
*{{Flag|Iran}}
*{{Flag|Afghanistan}}
*{{Flag|Bogd Khanate of Mongolia}} (1911–1915)
|-
| [[Timocracy]]
| Rule by the [[honour]]able; a system of governance ruled by honorable citizens and property-owners. [[Socrates]] defines a timocracy as a government ruled by people who love honour and who are selected according to the degree of honour they hold in society. This form of timocracy is very similar to [[meritocracy]], in the sense that individuals of outstanding character or faculty are placed in the seat of power.
|
|-
|}

=== Types of autocracy ===
[[Autocracy|Autocracies]] are ruled by a single entity with absolute power, whose decisions are subject to neither external legal restraints nor regular mechanisms of popular control (except perhaps for implicit threat). That entity may be an individual, as in a [[dictatorship]] or it may be a group, as in a [[one-party state]]. The word [[despotism]] means to "rule in the fashion of despots" and is often used to describe autocracy.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Term
!Definition
!width=200pt|Examples
|-
| [[Dictatorship|Civilian dictatorship]] || A dictatorship where power resides in the hands of one single person or [[polity]]. That person may be, for example, an [[absolute monarchy|absolute monarch]] or a [[dictatorship|dictator]], but can also be an elected [[President (government title)|president]]. In modern times, an autocrat's rule is one that is not stopped by any rules of law, [[constitution]]s, or other social and political institutions. After World War II, many governments in Latin America, Asia, and Africa were ruled by autocratic governments. Examples of dictators include [[Joseph Stalin]], [[Mao Zedong]], [[Adolf Hitler]], [[Benito Mussolini]] and the [[Kim family (North Korea)|Kim dynasty]] of [[North Korea]] founded by [[Kim Il Sung]].
|
* [[Roman Republic]] (During times of war)
* {{Flag|Soviet Union}} (1924–1953)
* {{Flag|Fascist Italy}} (1925–1943)
* {{Flag|Nazi Germany}} (1933–1945)
* {{Flag|Eritrea}}
* {{Flag|Belarus}}
* {{Flag|North Korea}}
|-
| [[Military dictatorship]] ||A dictatorship primarily enforced by the military. Military dictators are different from [[Civilian dictatorship|civilian dictators]] for a number of reasons: their motivations for seizing power, the institutions through which they organize their rule, and the ways in which they leave power. Often viewing itself as saving the nation from the corrupt or myopic civilian politicians, a military dictatorship justifies its position as "neutral" arbiters on the basis of their membership within the armed forces. For example, many juntas adopt titles, such as "National Redemption Council", "Committee of National Restoration", or "National Liberation Committee". Military leaders often rule as a [[Military junta|junta]], selecting one of them as the head.
|
*{{Flag|Military dictatorship in Brazil}} (1964–1985)
*{{Flag|Military dictatorship of Chile}} (1973–1990)
|}

=== Pejorative attributes ===
Regardless of the form of government, the actual governance may be influenced by sectors with [[Power (social and political)|political power]] which are not part of the formal government. These are terms that highlight certain actions of the governors, such as [[corruption]], [[demagoguery]], or [[fear mongering]] that may disrupt the intended way of working of the government if they are widespread enough.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
|-
!Term
!Definition
|-
| [[Banana republic]] || A politically unstable and kleptocratic government that economically depends upon the exports of a limited resource (fruits, minerals), and usually features a society composed of [[Social stratification|stratified]] [[Class (social)|social classes]], such as a great, impoverished ergatocracy and a ruling plutocracy, composed of the aristocracy of business, politics, and the military.<ref>{{Cite book|author = Richard Alan White |title = The Morass. United States Intervention in Central America|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X88WAAAAYAAJ|publisher = Harper & Row|location = New York|year = 1984| page = 319|isbn = 9780060911454}}</ref> In [[political science]], the term ''banana republic'' denotes a country dependent upon limited [[Primary sector of the economy|primary-sector productions]], which is ruled by a [[plutocracy]] who exploit the national economy by means of a politico-economic [[oligarchy]].<ref name="GREED">{{cite journal |title=Big-business Greed Killing the Banana (p. A19)|journal=The Independent, Via the New Zealand Herald |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-179318358.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117083127/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-179318358.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 January 2013 |date=24 May 2008 |access-date=24 June 2012}}</ref> In [[American literature]], the term ''banana republic'' originally denoted the fictional ''Republic of Anchuria'', a servile dictatorship that abetted, or supported for [[Kickback (bribery)|kickbacks]], the exploitation of large-scale plantation agriculture, especially banana cultivation.<ref name="GREED" /> In U.S. politics, the term [[wikt:banana republic|banana republic]] is a pejorative political descriptor coined by the American writer [[O. Henry]] in ''Cabbages and Kings'' (1904), a book of thematically related short stories derived from his 1896–1897 residence in [[Honduras]], where he was hiding from U.S. law for bank [[embezzlement]].<ref>{{cite book|author=O. Henry|title=Cabbages and Kings|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CsSr5CxBrGQC&pg=PT198|access-date=15 March 2013|date=15 December 2009|publisher=MobileReference|isbn=978-1-60778-412-8|page=198|quote=While he was in Honduras, Porter coined the term 'banana republic'}}</ref>
|-
| [[Bankocracy]] || Rule by banks;<ref>{{cite book |title=Dictionary of Philosophical Terms vol. II – English-German / Englisch-Deutsch
|last1=Waibl |first1=Elmar|last2=Herdina|first2=Philip|year=1997 |publisher= Walter de Gruyter|isbn=3110979497|page=33|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r7OiXFVasZEC&q=bankokratie |access-date=18 September 2012 }}</ref> a system of governance with excessive power or influence of banks and other financial authorities on public policy-making. It can also refer to a form of government where financial institutions rule society.
|-
| [[Corporatocracy]] || Rule by corporations; a system of governance where an economic and political system is controlled by corporations or corporate interests.<ref name="oxford dictionary">{{cite news|title= Corporatocracy|newspaper= Oxford Dictionaries|quote= /ˌkôrpərəˈtäkrəsē/ .... a society or system that is governed or controlled by corporations:|url= http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/corporatocracy|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120517021234/http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/corporatocracy|url-status= dead|archive-date= May 17, 2012|access-date= 29 May 2012
}}</ref> Its use is generally pejorative. Examples include [[company rule in India]], and the business voters for the [[City of London Corporation]].
|-
| [[Kakistocracy]] || Rule by the worst; a system of government where the least-qualified citizens govern or dictate policies.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bowler |first=Peter |title=The superior person's book of words |date=1985 |isbn=0-87923-556-X |edition=1 |location=Boston |oclc=11757334 |publisher=David R. Godine }}</ref>

|-
| [[Kleptocracy]] || Rule by thieves; a system of governance where its officials and the ruling class in general pursue personal wealth and political power at the expense of the wider population. In strict terms kleptocracy is not a form of government but a characteristic of a government engaged in such behavior.
|-
| [[Nepotocracy]]|| Rule by nephews; [[In-group favoritism|favouritism]] granted to [[Kinship|relatives]] regardless of [[:wikt:merit|merit]]; a system of governance in which importance is given to the relatives of those already in power, like a ''nephew'' (where the word comes from). In such governments even if the relatives aren't qualified they are given positions of authority just because they know someone who already has authority.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tajikistan: Nations in Transit 2018 Country Report |url=https://freedomhouse.org/country/tajikistan/nations-transit/2018 |access-date=2022-02-27 |website=Freedom House |language=en}}</ref> [[Pope Alexander VI]] ([[Borgia]]) was accused of this.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Pope Alexander VI |url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01289a.htm |access-date=2022-02-27 |website=New Advent }}</ref>
|-
| [[Ochlocracy]] || Rule by the crowd; a system of governance where mob rule is government by mob or a mass of people, or the [[intimidation]] of legitimate authorities. As a pejorative for [[majoritarianism]], it is akin to the [[Latin]] phrase ''mobile vulgus'' meaning "the fickle crowd", from which the English term "mob" was originally derived in the 1680s. Ochlocratic governments are often a democracy spoiled by [[demagoguery]], "[[tyranny of the majority]]" and the rule of passion over reason; such governments can be as oppressive as autocratic tyrants. Ochlocracy is synonymous in meaning and usage to the modern, informal term "mobocracy".
|}

===Other attributes===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
|-
!Term
!Definition
|-
|[[Adhocracy]]
|Rule by a government based on relatively disorganized principles and institutions as compared to a [[bureaucracy]], its exact opposite.
|-
| [[Anocracy]] || A regime type where power is not vested in public institutions (as in a normal democracy) but spread amongst elite groups who are constantly competing with each other for power. Examples of anocracies in Africa include the warlords of [[Somalia]] and the shared governments in [[samaya]] and [[Zimbabwe]]. Anocracies are situated midway between an [[autocracy]] and a [[democracy]].<ref>{{cite web|title=''Global Report 2011: Conflict, Governance, and State Fragility'' |last1=Marshall |first1=Monty G. |first2=Benjamin R. |last2=Cole |date=1 December 2011 |publisher=Center for Systemic Peace |location=Vienna |url=http://www.systemicpeace.org/GlobalReport2011.pdf |access-date=2012-08-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120617032920/http://www.systemicpeace.org/GlobalReport2011.pdf |archive-date=17 June 2012 }}</ref>

The [[Polity data series|Polity IV dataset]] recognizes anocracy as a category. In that dataset, anocracies are exactly in the middle between autocracies and democracies.

Often the word is defined more broadly. For example, a 2010 [[International Alert]] publication defined anocracies as "countries that are neither autocratic nor democratic, most of which are making the risky transition between autocracy and democracy".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.international-alert.org/sites/default/files/publications/MDG.pdf|title=Working with the Grain to Change the Grain: Moving Beyond the Millennium Development Goals| publisher=[[International Alert]]|location=London| date=September 2010|last1=Vernon|first1=Phil|last2=Baksh|first2=Deborrah|page=29|access-date=2012-08-15}}</ref> Alert noted that the number of anocracies had increased substantially since the end of the Cold War. Anocracy is not surprisingly the least resilient political system to short-term shocks: it creates the promise but not yet the actuality of an inclusive and effective political economy, and threatens members of the established elite; and is therefore very vulnerable to disruption and armed violence.
|-
|[[Authoritarianism]]
|Rule by an autocracy or oligarchy with a power source predicated on a political party or stratocracy; characterized by the rejection of [[political plurality]].
|-
|[[Band society]]
|Rule by a government based on small (usually family) unit with a semi-informal hierarchy, with strongest (either physical strength or strength of character) as leader.
|-
|[[Bureaucracy]]
|Rule by a system of governance with many bureaus, administrators, and petty officials.
|-
|[[Consociationalism]]
|Rule by a government based on consensus democracy.
|-
|[[Military junta]]
|Rule by a committee of military leaders.
|-
|[[Nomocracy]]
|Rule by a government under the sovereignty of rational laws and civic right as opposed to one under theocratic systems of government. In a nomocracy, ultimate and final authority (sovereignty) exists in the law.
|-
|[[Cyberocracy]]
|Rule by a computer, which decides based on computer code and efficient use of information. This is closely linked to Cybersynacy. This type of ruling appears in the short story "[[The Machine Stops]]" by E. M. Forster.
|-
|[[Algocracy]]
|Rule by algorithms used in diverse levels of bureaucracy, which is also known as algorithmic regulation, regulation by algorithms, algorithmic governance, algorithmic legal order of government by algorithm.
|-
|[[Isocracy]]
|A country where everyone has equal political power.
|}

== Forms of government by power ideology ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Term
!Definition
|-
|[[Monarchy]]
|A monarchy is a [[form of government]] in which a group, generally a family representing a [[dynasty]], embodies the country's [[national identity]] and its head, the [[monarch]], exercises the role of sovereignty. The actual power of the monarch may vary from purely symbolic ([[crowned republic]]), to partial and restricted ([[constitutional monarchy]]), to completely autocratic ([[absolute monarchy]]). Traditionally the monarch's post is [[Hereditary monarchy|inherited]] and lasts until death or abdication. In contrast, [[Elective monarchy|elective monarchies]] require the monarch to be elected. Both types have further variations as there are widely divergent structures and traditions defining monarchy. For example, in some{{which|date=November 2021}}elected monarchies only pedigrees are taken into account for eligibility of the next ruler, whereas many hereditary monarchies impose requirements regarding the religion, age, gender, mental capacity, etc. Occasionally this might create a situation of rival claimants whose [[Legitimacy (political)|legitimacy]] is subject to effective election. There have been cases where the term of a monarch's [[reign]] is either fixed in years or continues until certain goals are achieved: an invasion being repulsed, for instance.
|-
|[[Republic]]
|A republic ([[Latin language|Latin]]: ''[[res publica]]'') is a [[form of government]] in which the country is considered a "public matter", not the [[Res privata|private concern or property]] of the rulers. The primary positions of power within a republic are not inherited, but are attained through elections expressing the [[consent of the governed]]. Such leadership positions are therefore expected to fairly represent the citizen body. It is a form of government under which the head of state is not a [[monarch]]. In American English, the definition of a republic can also refer specifically to a government in which elected individuals represent the citizen body, also known as a [[representative democracy]] (a [[democratic republic]]) and exercise power according to the [[rule of law]] (a [[Constitutionalism|constitutional]] republic).
|}

=== Types of monarchy ===
Countries with [[monarchy]] attributes are those where a family or group of families (rarely another type of group), called the [[wikt:Special:Search/royalty|royalty]], represents national identity, with power traditionally assigned to one of its individuals, called the monarch, who mostly rule kingdoms. The actual role of the monarch and other members of royalty varies from purely symbolical ([[crowned republic]]) to partial and restricted ([[constitutional monarchy]]) to completely despotic ([[absolute monarchy]]). Traditionally and in most cases, the post of the monarch is [[inheritance|inherited]], but there are also [[elective monarchy|elective monarchies]] where the monarch is elected.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
|-
!Term
!Definition
|-
| [[Absolute monarchy]] || A traditional and historical system where the monarch exercises ultimate governing authority as [[head of state]] and [[head of government]]. Many nations of Europe during the [[Middle Ages]] were absolute monarchies. Modern examples include mainly Islamic countries such as [[Saudi Arabia]], [[UAE]], [[Oman]], [[Brunei]] and one African country, [[Eswatini]].
|-
| [[Constitutional monarchy]] || Also called parliamentary monarchy, the monarch's powers are limited by law or by a formal [[constitution]],<ref>[[Takis Fotopoulos|Fotopoulos, Takis]], ''The Multidimensional Crisis and [[Inclusive Democracy]]''. (Athens: Gordios, 2005). ([https://www.inclusivedemocracy.org/fotopoulos/english/brbooks/multi_crisis_id/multi_crisis_id.htm English translation] of the book with the same title published in Greek).</ref><ref name="victoria">{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/SARC/E-Democracy/Final_Report/Glossary.htm|title=Victorian Electronic Democracy : Glossary|date=28 July 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213045132/http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/SARC/E-Democracy/Final_Report/Glossary.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive -->|archive-date=13 December 2007}}</ref> usually giving them the role of [[head of state]]. Many modern developed countries, including the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|United Kingdom]], [[Monarchy of Norway|Norway]], [[Monarchy of the Netherlands|Netherlands]], [[Monarchy of Australia|Australia]], [[Monarchy of Canada|Canada]], [[Monarchy of Spain|Spain]] and [[Monarchy of Japan|Japan]], are constitutional monarchy systems.
|-
| [[Crowned republic]] || A form of government where the monarch (and family) is an official ceremonial entity with no political power. The royal family and the monarch are intended to represent the country and may perform speeches or attend an important ceremonial events as a symbolical guide to the people, but hold no actual power in decision-making, appointments, ''et cetera''.
|-
| [[Elective monarchy]]
| A form of government where the monarch is elected, a modern example being the [[King of Cambodia]], who is chosen by the [[Royal Council of the Throne]]; [[Vatican City]] is also often considered a modern elective monarchy.
|-
| [[Self-proclaimed monarchy]]
| A form of government where the monarch claims a monarch title without a nexus to the previous monarch [[dynasty]]. Modern self-proclaimed monarchies include the micronation [[Principality of Seborga]] claiming 14 square kilometres (5.4 sq mi) of Italy.
|}

=== Types of republic ===
Rule by a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people.<ref name="autogenerated1">[[Montesquieu]], ''[[The Spirit of the Laws]]'' (1748), Bk. II, ch. 1.</ref><ref name="Britannica">{{cite encyclopedia|title=Republic|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica}}</ref> A common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of state is not a monarch.<ref name="WordNet">{{Cite journal|title=republic|url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/republic|journal=WordNet 3.0|publisher=Dictionary.com|access-date=20 March 2009}}</ref><ref name="M-W">{{cite encyclopedia|title=Republic|encyclopedia=Merriam-Webster|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/republic|access-date=14 August 2010}}</ref> [[Montesquieu]] included both [[democracy|democracies]], where all the people have a share in rule, and [[aristocracy|aristocracies]] or [[oligarchy|oligarchies]], where only some of the people rule, as republican forms of government.<ref name="autogenerated2">Montesquieu, ''Spirit of the Laws'', Bk. II, ch. 2–3.</ref>

''These categories are not exclusive.''
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
|-
!Term
!Definition
|-
| [[Classical republicanism|Classical republic]] || [[Classical antiquity]] civilizations typically followed a republican model with a complex system of assemblies and magistrates, all drawing upon the idea of a "civic" sector—a representative sample of particular populations. In a classical republic, power rests with selected individuals who represent the citizenry (or more usually a limited sector thereof) and who rule in accordance with mutually agreed-upon law.
|-
| [[Constitutional republic]] || Republics where the government's powers are limited by law or a formal [[constitution]] (an official document establishing the exact powers and restrictions of a nation and its government), and in which the leaders are chosen by a vote amongst the populace. Typically, laws cannot be passed which violate said constitution, unless the constitution itself is altered by law. This theoretically serves to protect minority groups from being subjected to the [[tyranny of the majority]], or [[Ochlocracy|mob rule]]. Examples include [[India]], [[South Africa]], [[United States]], etc.
|-
| [[Democratic republic]] || Republics where the laws are ultimately decided by popular vote, whether by a body of elected representatives or directly by the public, and there is no restriction on which laws are passed so long as they have majority support. Constitutional law is either non-existent or poses little obstacle to legislation.
|-
| [[Federal republic]] || Republics that are a federation of states or provinces, where there is a national (federal) law encompassing the nation as a whole but where each state or province is free to legislate and enforce its own laws and affairs so long as they do not conflict with federal law. Examples include [[Argentina]], [[Austria]], [[Brazil]], [[Germany]], [[India]], [[Mexico]], [[Russia]], [[Switzerland]], [[United States]] and Nigeria.
|-
| [[Islamic republic]] || Republics purporting to be governed in accordance with Islamic law.  [[Islamic Republic of Iran]], [[Mauritania]], and [[Islamic Republic of Pakistan]] are self-described Islamic republics (as of 2022).  [[Afghanistan]], [[Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros]] and the [[Turkish Islamic Republic of East Turkestan]] were Islamic republics at one time but are no more.
|-
| [[Parliamentary republic]] || Republics, like [[India]] or [[Singapore]], with an elected head of state, but where the head of state and head of government are kept separate with the head of government retaining most executive powers, or a head of state akin to a head of government, elected by a parliament.
|-
|[[Presidential system|Presidential republic]]
|Republics with an elected head of state, where the head of state is also the head of the government. Examples include the [[United States]], [[Mexico]], [[Brazil]], [[Angola]] and [[Indonesia]].
|-
| [[People's republic]] || Republics that include countries like [[China]] and [[Vietnam]] that are [[de jure]] governed for and by the people. The term ''People's Republic'' is used to differentiate themselves from the earlier republic of their countries before the people's revolution, like the Republic of China. 
|-
| [[Semi-presidential republic]] ||

A semi-presidential republic is a government system with power divided between a president as head of state and a prime minister as head of government, used in countries like [[France]], [[Haiti]], [[Portugal]] and [[Egypt]]. The president, elected by the people, symbolizes national unity and foreign policy while the prime minister is appointed by the president or elected by the parliament and handles daily administration. The term ''semi-presidential'' distinguishes this system from presidential and parliamentary systems.
|-
| [[Directorial system|Directorial republic]] ||

A directorial republic is a government system with power divided among a college of several people who jointly exercise the powers of a head of state and/or a head of government.
|-
| [[Merchant republic]] ||

In the early Renaissance, a number of small, wealthy, trade-based city-states embraced republican ideals, notably across Italy and the Baltic. In general, these mercantile republics arose in regions of Europe where feudal control by an absolutist monarchy was minimal or absent completely. In these mercantile republics, the leaders were elected by the citizenry with the primary duty of increasing the city-state's collective wealth.
|}

== Forms of government by socio-economic attributes ==
=== By socio-economic attributes ===
{{further|Economic system}}
Many political systems can be described as socioeconomic ideologies. Experience with those movements in power and the strong ties they may have to particular forms of government can cause them to be considered as forms of government in themselves.

''These categories are not exclusive.''
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
|-
!Term
!Definition
|-
|[[Anarchism]]
|A system that advocates [[Self-governance|self-governed]] societies based on voluntary institutions. These are often described as [[Stateless society|stateless societies]], although several authors have defined them more specifically as institutions based on non-[[Hierarchy|hierarchical]] or [[Free association (communism and anarchism)|free associations]], while others have advocated for stateless societies with the inclusion of [[Anarcho-Capitalism|private property]], property rights and hierarchical groups, so long as membership and association with those groups are entirely [[Voluntaryism|voluntary]]. Anarchism holds the [[State (polity)|state]] to be undesirable, unnecessary and/or harmful.
|-
| [[Capitalism]] || A system in which the [[means of production]] (machines, tools, factories, etc.) are owned by private individuals, workers then negotiate with those individuals to use those means of production in exchange for a portion of what they produce, usually in the form of capital ([[money]]). The owners of the [[means of production]] are entitled to whatever portion of the products of the workers' labor that is agreed upon by the two parties.
|-
|[[Colonialism]]
|A system in which a native group (or their lands and resources) is subjugated by an external political power for their own economic and/or political benefit.
|-
| [[Communism]] || A socialist system in which the means of production are commonly owned (either by the people directly, through the commune, or by a [[communist state]] or [[communist society|society]]), and production is undertaken [[Production for use|for use]], rather than [[Capitalist mode of production (Marxist theory)|for profit]].<ref>{{cite book |last= Steele|first= David Ramsay |title= From Marx to Mises: Post Capitalist Society and the Challenge of Economic Calculation |publisher= Open Court|date=September 1999|isbn= 978-0875484495|page = 66|quote= Marx distinguishes between two phases of marketless communism: an initial phase, with labor vouchers, and a higher phase, with free access.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last= Busky|first= Donald F.|title= Democratic Socialism: A Global Survey|publisher= Praeger|date=July 20, 2000|isbn= 978-0275968861|page = 4|quote=Communism would mean free distribution of goods and services. The communist slogan, 'From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs' (as opposed to 'work') would then rule}}</ref> Communist society is thus, in theory, [[stateless society|stateless]], [[classless society|classless]], moneyless, — it is usually regarded as the "final form" of a socialist or anarchist society.
|-
|[[Despotism]]
|A system in which the laws and resources of a nation are controlled by one individual, usually a [[monarch]] or [[dictator]], who holds absolute political power. Examples include the [[pharaoh]]s of [[Ancient Egypt]], the [[Roman emperor]]s and the [[Supreme Leader (North Korean title)|North Korean supreme leader]]s.
|-
| [[Distributism]] || A variant of capitalism which views widespread [[private property|property]] ownership as fundamental right;<ref>Shiach, Morag (2004). ''Modernism, Labour and Selfhood in British Literature and Culture, 1890–1930''. [[Cambridge University Press]]. p. 224. {{ISBN|978-0-521-83459-9}}</ref> the [[means of production]] are spread as widely as possible rather than being centralized under the control of the state (as in [[state socialism]]), or a few individuals/corporations (as in what proponents of distributism call "[[crony capitalism]]")<ref>Zwick, Mark and Louise (2004). ''The Catholic Worker Movement: Intellectual and Spiritual Origins ''. [[Paulist Press]]. p. 156. {{ISBN|978-0-8091-4315-3}}</ref> Distributism fundamentally opposes [[socialism]] and [[capitalism]],<ref>Boyle, David; Simms, Andrew (2009). ''The New Economics''. [[Routledge]]. p. 20. {{ISBN|978-1-84407-675-8}}</ref><ref>Novak, Michael; Younkins, Edward W. (2001). ''Three in One: Essays on Democratic Capitalism, 1976–2000''. [[Rowman and Littlefield]]. p. 152. {{ISBN|978-0-7425-1171-2}}</ref> which distributists view as equally flawed and exploitative. In contrast, distributism seeks to subordinate economic activity to human life as a whole, to our spiritual life, our intellectual life, our family life".<ref>Storck, Thomas. "Capitalism and Distributism: two systems at war", in ''Beyond Capitalism & Socialism''. Tobias J. Lanz, ed. IHS Press, 2008. p. 75</ref>
|-
| [[Feudalism]] || A system of land ownership and duties common to [[Middle Ages|Medieval Europe]] and [[Azuchi–Momoyama period|Feudal Japan]]. Under feudalism, all the land in a kingdom belonged to the king or emperor. However, the king/emperor would give some of the land to the lords or nobles who fought for him. These presents of land were called manors. Then the nobles gave some of their land to vassals. The vassals then had to do duties for the nobles. The lands of vassals were called fiefs.
A similar system is the [[Iqta'|Iqta‘]], used by medieval [[Abbasid Caliphate|Islamic]] societies of the middle east and north Africa. This functioned much like the feudal system but generally had titles that weren't granted to a family dynasty but to individuals at the behest of the sultan and generally only required a tax from the lower classes, instead of military service and/or manual labour like in the feudal system.
|-
|[[Minarchism]]
|A variant of [[capitalism]] which advocates for the [[State (polity)|state]] to exist solely to provide a very small number of services. A popular model of the State proposed by minarchists is known as the [[night-watchman state]], in which the only governmental functions are to protect citizens from [[aggression]], [[theft]], [[breach of contract]], and [[fraud]] as defined by [[property law]]s, limiting it to three institutions: the [[military]], the [[police]], and [[courts]].
|-
|[[Monarchism]]
|A system in which the government is headed by an agreed upon head of the [[nobility]] who is known as the [[monarch]], usually in the form of a [[king]] or [[emperor]] (but also less commonly a [[Queen regnant|queen]] or empress). In most monarchical systems the position of monarch is one [[Hereditary monarchy|inherited]] from a previous ruler by [[Heredity|bloodline]] or marriage, but in other cases it may be a position elected by the [[nobility]] themselves, as was the case in the ancient [[Roman Kingdom]] and the medieval [[Holy Roman Empire]].
|-
|[[Republicanism]]
|A system in which the laws and governmental policies of the state are considered a "public matter" and decided by the citizens of the society, whoever they may be. Most modern nation-states are examples of republics, but other examples include those of ancient [[Roman Republic|Rome]] and [[Athenian democracy|Athens]].
|-
| [[Socialism]] || A system in which [[worker's self management|workers, democratically]] and/or [[social ownership|socially own]] the [[means of production]].<ref>{{Cite book|title = Upton Sinclair's: A Monthly Magazine: for Social Justice, by Peaceful Means If Possible|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=i0w9AQAAMAAJ|date = 1918-01-01|last = Sinclair|first = Upton|author-link= Upton Sinclair|quote = Socialism, you see, is a bird with two wings. The definition is 'social ownership and democratic control of the instruments and means of production.'}}</ref> The economic framework may be [[Decentralized planning (economics)|decentralized]] and [[Socialism#Self-managed economy|self-managed]] in autonomous economic units, as in [[Libertarian socialism|libertarian]] systems, or [[Central planning|centrally]] [[Planned economy|planned]], as in [[Authoritarian socialism|authoritarian]] systems.<ref>Schweickart, David. [http://orion.it.luc.edu/~dschwei/demsoc.htm ''Democratic Socialism''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120617235335/http://orion.it.luc.edu/~dschwei/demsoc.htm |date=2012-06-17 }}. Encyclopedia of Activism and Social Justice (2006): "Virtually all (democratic) socialists have distanced themselves from the economic model long synonymous with 'socialism,' i.e. the Soviet model of a non-market, centrally-planned economy...Some have endorsed the concept of 'market socialism,' a post-capitalist economy that retains market competition, but socializes the means of production, and, in some versions, extends democracy to the workplace. Some hold out for a non-market, participatory economy. All democratic socialists agree on the need for a democratic alternative to capitalism."</ref> [[Public service]]s such as [[Universal health care|healthcare]] and [[Universal access to education|education]] would be [[common ownership|commonly]], [[collective ownership|collectively]], and/or [[state ownership|state owned]].
|-
|[[Totalitarianism]]
|A system in which opposition is prohibited, civil rights are extremely suppressed and virtually all aspects of social life, including the economy, morals, public and private lives of citizens, are controlled by a centralized [[authoritarian]] [[State (polity)|state]] that holds absolute political power, usually under a [[dictatorship]] or [[One-party state|single political party]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-18 |title=Totalitarianism {{!}} Definition, Characteristics, Examples, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/totalitarianism |access-date=2023-06-23 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> Five examples are the [[History of the Soviet Union (1927–1953)|Soviet Union (1927–53)]], [[Nazi Germany|Nazi Germany (1933–1945)]], [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]], [[Eritrea]] and [[North Korea]]. 
|-
|[[Tribalism]]
|A system based on a small complex society of varying degrees of centralisation that is led by an individual known as a chief.
|}

=== Types of government by geo-cultural attributes ===
Governments can also be categorized based on their size and scope of influence:
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Term
!Definition
|-
|[[Central government|National government]]
|The [[government]] of a [[nation-state]] and is a characteristic of a [[unitary state]]. This is the same thing as a [[Federation|federal government]] which may have distinct powers at various levels authorized or delegated to it by its member states, though the adjective 'central' is sometimes used to describe it. The structure of central governments varies. Many countries have created autonomous regions by delegating powers from the central government to governments at a sub national level, such as a regional, state or local level. Based on a broad definition of a basic political system, there are two or more levels of government that exist within an established territory and govern through common institutions with overlapping or shared powers as prescribed by a [[constitution]] or other law.
|-
|[[City-state]]
|A [[sovereign state]], also described as a type of small independent country, that usually consists of a single city and its dependent territories. Historically, this included cities such as [[Rome]], [[Athens]], [[Carthage]], and the [[Italian city-states]] during the [[Renaissance]]. Today only a handful of sovereign city-states exist, with some disagreement as to which are city-states. A great deal of consensus exists that the term properly applies currently to [[Hong Kong]], [[Macau]], [[Singapore]], [[Monaco]], and [[Vatican City]]. City states are also sometimes called [[micro-state]]s which however also includes other configurations of very small countries.
|-
|Commune
|From the [[Medieval Latin]] ''[[communia]].'' An [[intentional community]] of people living together, sharing common interests, often having common values and beliefs, as well as shared [[property]], possessions, [[resources]], and, in some communes, [[Employment|work]], [[income]] or [[assets]].
|-
|[[International organization|Intergovernmental organisations]]
|Also known as international governmental organizations (IGOs): the type of organization most closely associated with the term 'international organization', these are organizations that are made up primarily of [[sovereign state]]s (referred to as [[member state]]s). Notable examples include the [[United Nations]] (UN), [[Organisation of Islamic Conference]] (OIC), [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]] (OSCE), [[Council of Europe]] (COE), [[International Labour Organization]] (ILO) and [[Interpol|International Police Organization]] (INTERPOL). The UN has used the term "intergovernmental organization" instead of "international organization" for clarity.
|-
|[[World government]]
|The notion of a common [[political]] authority for all of humanity, yielding a global [[government]] and a single [[State (polity)|state]] that exercises [[authority]] over the entire [[Earth]]. Such a government could come into existence either through violent and compulsory [[world domination]] or through peaceful and voluntary [[supranational union]].
|}

== Forms of government by other attributes ==
=== By significant constitutional attributes ===
Certain major characteristics are defining of certain types; others are historically associated with certain types of government.
* [[Civilian control of the military]] vs. [[stratocracy]]
* [[Majority rule]] or [[parliamentary sovereignty]] vs. [[bill of rights]] or [[arbitrary rule]]s with [[separation of powers]] and [[supermajority]] rules to prevent [[tyranny of the majority]] and protect [[minority rights]]
* [[Rule according to higher law]] (unwritten ethical principles) vs. written [[constitutionalism]]
* [[Separation of church and state]] or [[free church]] vs. [[state religion]]
* [[Totalitarianism]] or [[authoritarianism]] vs. [[libertarianism]]

=== By approach to regional autonomy ===
This list focuses on differing approaches that political systems take to the distribution of [[sovereignty]], and the [[Autonomous entity|autonomy]] of regions within the state.
* Sovereignty located exclusively at the centre of political jurisdiction
** [[Empire]]
* Sovereignty located at the centre and in peripheral areas
** [[Federal monarchy]]
** [[Hegemony]]
* Diverging degrees of sovereignty
** [[Alliance]]
** [[Asymmetrical federalism]]
** [[Chartered company]]
** [[Client state]]
*** [[Associated state]]
*** [[Dependent territory]]
*** [[Protectorate]]
*** [[Puppet state]]
*** [[Satellite state]]
*** [[Vassal state]]
** [[Colony]]
*** [[Crown colony]]
** [[Commonwealth]]
** ''[[Corpus separatum (disambiguation)|Corpus separatum]]''
** [[Decentralisation]] and [[devolution]] (powers redistributed from central to regional or local governments)
** [[Federacy]]
** [[Junta (governing body)|Junta]]
** [[League of Nations mandate|Mandate]]
** [[Military Frontier|Military frontier]]
** [[Neutral zone (territorial entity)|Neutral zone]]
** [[United Nations list of non-self-governing territories|Non-self-governing territories]]
** [[Occupied territory]]
** [[Provisional government]]
** [[Thalassocracy]]
** Unrecognized state
*** [[Government in exile]]
*** [[Micronation]]
*** [[Separatist movement]]
*** [[List of states with limited recognition|States with limited recognition]]

=== Theoretical and speculative attributes ===
These have no conclusive historical or current examples outside of speculation and scholarly debate.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
|-
!Term
!Definition
|-
| Corporate republic
| Theoretical [[form of government]] occasionally hypothesised in works of [[science fiction]], though some historical nations such as medieval [[Republic of Florence|Florence]] might be said to have been governed as corporate republics. The colonial [[megacorporations]] such as the [[Dutch East India Company]] should possibly be considered corporate states, being semi-sovereign with the power to wage war and establish colonies.

While retaining some semblance of [[republic]]an government, a corporate republic would be [[Private governance|run primarily like a business]], involving a [[board of directors]] and [[corporate title|executives]]. [[Utility|Utilities]], including [[hospital]]s, [[school]]s, the [[military]], and the [[Police|police force]], would be [[Privatization|privatised]]. The [[social welfare]] function carried out by the state is instead carried out by corporations in the form of benefits to employees. Although corporate republics do not exist officially in the modern world, they are often used in works of fiction or [[political criticism|political commentary]] as a warning of the perceived dangers of unbridled [[capitalism]]. In such works, they usually arise when a single, vastly powerful corporation deposes a weak government, over time or in a [[coup d'état]].

Some political scientists have also considered [[state socialist]] nations to be forms of corporate republics, with the state assuming full control of all economic and political life and establishing a monopoly on everything within national boundaries – effectively making the state itself amount to a giant corporation.
|-
| [[Collective consciousness]]
| Rule by a collective consciousness of all human minds connected via some form of technological telepathy acting as a form of supercomputer to make decisions based on shared patterned experiences to deliver fair and accurate decisions to problems as they arrive. Also known as the hive mind principle, it differs from voting in that each person would make a decision while in the hive—the synapses of all minds work together following a longer path of memories to make one decision. See [[technological singularity]].
|-
| [[Secret society]]
| A secret society (cryptocracy, secret government, [[shadow government (conspiracy theory)|shadow government]], or invisible government) is a club or organization whose activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. As a form of government, secret societies are a theoretical government in which real and actual political power resides with private individuals who make decisions behind the scenes, while publicly elected representatives serve as puppets or [[scapegoat]]s.

Probably the most infamous secret society is the [[Illuminati]], who had in their general statutes, "The order of the day is to put an end to the machinations of the purveyors of injustice, to control them without dominating them."<ref>{{cite book |first=Richard van |last=Dülmen |author-link=Richard van Dülmen |title=The Society of Enlightenment |publisher=Polity Press |date=1992 |page=110}}</ref> Secret societies are illegal in several countries, including [[Italy]] and [[Poland]], who ban secret political parties and political organizations in their constitutions.

Secret societies are often portrayed in [[fiction]] settings. Some examples from popular culture include:
* The [[Order of Assassins|Assassins]] and [[Knights Templar|Templars]] in [[Assassin's Creed]] franchise by [[Ubisoft]], ''Abstergo''. A Templar corporation and also a secret society
* [[Hydra (comics)|HYDRA]], in the [[Marvel Universe]]
* The [[Bene Gesserit]] and [[Bene Tleilax]] from [[Frank Herbert]]'s [[Dune (franchise)|Dune]]
|-
| [[Theonomy]]
|A hypothetical [[Christianity|Christian]] form of government in which society is ruled by [[divine law]].<ref name="Jones2013">{{cite book|last=Jones|first=David W.|title=An Introduction to Biblical Ethics|date=1 November 2013|publisher=B&H Publishing Group|language=en|isbn=9781433680779|page=209}}</ref> Theonomists hold that divine law, particularly the judicial laws of the [[Old Testament]], should be observed by modern societies.<ref>{{cite book|title=New Religious Movements and Religious Liberty in America|last=English|first=Adam C.|chapter=Christian Reconstruction after Y2K|year=2003|publisher=Baylor University Press|location=Waco, TX|pages=113–114|quote=Theonomy &ndash; A system of government characterized by being governed by divine law.}}</ref> The chief architects of the movement are [[Gary North (economist)|Gary North]], [[Greg Bahnsen]], and [[R. J. Rushdoony|R.J. Rushdoony]].<ref name="Neuhaus1990">{{cite journal|title = Why Wait for the Kingdom? The Theonomist Temptation|date = May 1990|url = http://www.firstthings.com/article/1990/05/002-why-wait-for-the-kingdom-the-theonomist-temptation|last = Neuhaus|first = Richard John|journal = First Things|access-date = 8 August 2013}}</ref>
|-
| Magocracy
| Rule by a government with the highest authority composed entirely or primarily of [[magician (fantasy)|magicians]], sages, sorcerers, wizards, witches, or some other magic users. A magocracy consists of a ruling class that uses magic as a centerpiece of their political power. Magocracies can exist as a government of mages ruling over other mages, or as mages ruling over non-magical persons.

Magocracies are portrayed primarily in fiction and [[fantasy]] settings. Some examples from popular culture include:
* The [[Jedi Council]] from ''[[Star Wars]]''
* The [[Order of the Phoenix (fictional organisation)|Order of the Phoenix]] in the [[Harry Potter]] series by [[J. K. Rowling]]
* The [[Ministry of Magic]] from ''[[Wizarding World]]''
* The [[Aes Sedai]] of the ''[[The Wheel of Time|Wheel of Time]]'' series
* The Brotherhood of Sorcerers in the [[Witcher series|''Witcher'' series]], which is also a secret society
|-
| [[Artificial intelligence in fiction#AI-controlled societies|Synthetic Technocracy]]
| Rule by [[artificial intelligence|specialist AI experts]] in a given domain. AI technocrats are assumed to have two major advantages over human technocrats: fairness and comprehensiveness. All forms of human government are seen as inherently flawed, due to the [[tribalism]], [[jingoism]] and irrational emotional nature of humankind. Synthetic technocracy bills itself as dispassionate and rational, free of the strife of political parties and factions as it pursues its optimal ends. Following in the tradition of other meritocracy theories, synthetic technocrats assume full state control over political and economic issues.

Synthetic technocracy is portrayed primarily in [[science fiction]] settings. Examples from popular culture include ''Gaia'' in ''[[Appleseed (2004 film)|Appleseed]]''
|}

==See also==
* [[List of countries by system of government]]
* [[List of political ideologies]]
* [[List of political systems in France]]
* [[Project Cybersyn]], a data fed group of secluded individuals in Chile in the 1970s that regulated aspects of public and private life using data feeds and technology having no interactivity with the citizens but using facts only to decide direction.
* [[List of territorial disputes]]
* [[Exclusive mandate]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://phrontistery.info/govern.html The Phrontistery Word List: Types of Government and Leadership]
* [http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/20c-govt.htm Types of Governments from Historical Atlas of the 20th Century]
* [http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/othergov.htm Other classifications examples from Historical Atlas of the 20th Century]
* [https://www.britannica.com/topic/political-system/Typologies-of-government Britannica: Typologies of government]
* [https://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/find_out/guides/world/united_nations/types_of_government/ CBBC Newsround: types of government]

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[[Category:Forms of government| ]]
[[Category:Government-related lists|Forms of government]]