Types of GovernmentBy: Nabaz Shwany

Romeo AinabSchool of Law, Government & International Studies

Department of Public ManagementClass of Politics and Administration

University of Utara MalaysiaMarch 12, 2012

Outline• Autocracy• Oligarchy• Aristocracy• What’s democracy• Democracy• Dictatorship• Examples of Dictatorship• Monarchy• Types of Monarchy• Theocracy• Conclusion• Questions

Autocracy

Autocracy• The most traditional and common form of

government

• The power is concentrated in the hand of one person who has absolute power over the government and people

• Do not allow the existence of any opposition parties

• Examples are Belarus, Zimbabwe, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Libya under Qazafi.

Autocracy

Oligarchy

Oligarchy• Means the rule by few • It’s a form of government by which power is

concentrated in the hand of a small group • The rulers could be royal family, religious

groups, certain races • Examples can be seen in Athens at the

fourth Century BC. Also in south Africa until the end of the former apartheid regime

Oligarchy

Aristocracy

Aristocracy • Aristocracy: The power is

concentrated in the hand of the social class, elites, intellectuals

• Plato portrayed that “aristocracy is the government by the best”

• Privileged by birth and wealth• Examples are Roman Empire,

Burundi, Rwanda, India, the USA!

Aristocracy

Democracy

What's Democracy

• Democracy: democracy is the government by the people for the people (Acemoglu & Robinson,)

• “a method of group decision making characterized by a kind of equality among the participants at an essential stage of the collective decision making”(Stanford University, 2006)

• Three types of democracy includes direct, representative and deliberative democracy

Democracy

• Public Participation: people are freely & fairly participate in election and decision making process

• Representation: people votes for their representative and they will represent the whole population

• The power of President is restrained by law and constitution

• The division of power (Three Branches of the Government: Judiciary, Legislative and Executive)

• Political Pluralism: Two parties system, Multi-party System• Human rights protection• Minority rights is considered

Democracy • Individual liberty• Free press• Freedom of association• Free Market Economy• Equality and fairness• Strong rule of law

Democracy Free Market

Rule of Law

Two Party System

Dictatorship

Dictatorship• Government is a leviathan and has absolute power

• Types of Dictatorship: 1- Fascism: extreme form of dictatorship concentrates on race (Nazi)

2- Authoritarian: Police states that oppress mass (Syria, tuekey, UAE)

3- Totalitarian: Government based Ideology (China, Vietnam)

• None public participation: people can not participate in election or decision making process

• Fake election and mobilizing people (Example: Egypt, Syria and Iraq under Saddam Hussein)

• The government rules by few people whether they are family, tribe, or Military groups

Dictatorship• Or there is one party system (Example: China, North Korea)

• Subgroup preference

• Some of the dictators come to power through Military coup• Military rule (Burma) • The government controls the resources and economy (North

Korea)• Majoritarian dominance of power• The minority groups are endanger and their rights abolished by

majority (ex: Kurds in turkey, Dark Africans in Darfur)• Individual liberty and freedom speech is violated • Market is monopolized• The rule of law is so weak and it functions upon the interest of

the regime

Examples of Dictatorship

Darfur Genocide Halabja Genocide

Myanmar Military

Rule

Monarchy

• Power belongs to one individualPower belongs to one individual

• It can be a king, an emperor or a It can be a king, an emperor or a dictatordictator

• There are four models of monocraciesThere are four models of monocracies

1- Monarchies1- Monarchies2- Theocracies2- Theocracies3- Popular Cesarism3- Popular Cesarism4- Dictatorship4- Dictatorship

Types of Monarchy:Types of Monarchy:

Absolute monarchiesAbsolute monarchies::Based on divine powerBased on divine powerRun by an individual (who concentrates all powers)Run by an individual (who concentrates all powers)Hereditary transmission of power Hereditary transmission of power

Limited monarchiesLimited monarchies::Mixed exercise of powerMixed exercise of powerAllows some separation of powersAllows some separation of powersExample: “Constitutional Monarchies”Example: “Constitutional Monarchies”

Types of Monarchy

Theocracy• Theo “God” Cracy “right” derived from

Ancient Greek….. Devine rule of God!• The country is based on the Religion

and holy books• Leaders are recognized as religious

people and uses religion to justify and impose their power

• Examples: Vatican, Islamic Republic of Iran

Conclusion

• Autocracy: Rule by one• Oligarchy: Ruled by few• Aristocracy: ruled by social, economic and

educational class• Democracy: rule of people, everyone’s voice heard

by the governmnet • Dictatorship: The dictators abuse power and

violate the rights of their citizens • Monarchy: the power is inherited • Theocracy: Power by God, religion is basic for

government constitution

Bibliography

• Olson, M. (1993). Dictatorship, Democracy, and Development. The American Political Science Review, Vol. 87, No. 3 (Sep., 1993), pp. 567-576. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2938736

• Rose (2012) Types of Government. Retrieved March 11, 2012, from http://athena7.com/types_of_governments.htm

• Shwany, N. 2009, “The Principles of Democratic and Non-democratic Government”. Retrieved from http://www.kurdishaspect.com/doc111809NS.html

• Acemoglu & Robinson (2003). Political Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy. Department of Political Science and Department of Economics, University of California at Berkeley. Retrieved from http://web.mit.edu/14.773/www/Chapter%2011.pdf

• Library of Alexandria (September 15, 2004). Aristocracy. Retrieved March 10,2012 from http://www.halexandria.org/dward339.htm