Types of State Administration
Governing Body | Geographic Distribution of Power | Ideological Basis | Example |
---|---|---|---|
Monarchy | Unitary | Absolute monarchy | Saudi Arabia |
Republic | Federal | Democratic | United States |
Dictatorship | Unitary | Authoritarian | North Korea |
Theocracy | Unitary | Religious | Iran |
Communist State | Unitary | Communist | China |
Socialist State | Unitary | Socialist | Sweden |
Capitalist State | Unitary or Federal | Capitalist | United Kingdom |
Presidential System | Unitary | Varies | United States |
Parliamentary System | Unitary | Varies | United Kingdom |
Mixed System | Unitary or Federal | Varies | France |
Monarchy Terms
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Absolute Monarchy | A form of government where the monarch has unlimited power. |
Constitutional Monarchy | A monarchy where the monarch's power is limited by a constitution. |
Parliamentary Monarchy | A constitutional monarchy where the government is led by a prime minister. |
Divine Right of Kings | The belief that a monarch's authority comes from God. |
Hereditary Monarchy | A monarchy where the throne is passed down through a family. |
Elective Monarchy | A monarchy where the monarch is chosen by a group of people. |
Monarchy | A form of government ruled by a single person. |
King | A male monarch. |
Queen | A female monarch. |
Emperor | A monarch who rules over a vast empire. |
Empress | A female emperor. |
Czar | A Russian emperor. |
Tsarina | A female Russian emperor. |
Sultan | A Muslim ruler, especially in the Ottoman Empire. |
Shah | A Persian or Iranian monarch. |
Pharaoh | A ruler of ancient Egypt. |
Kaiser | A German emperor. |
Rex | A Latin term for king. |
Regina | A Latin term for queen. |
Royal Family | The family of a monarch. |
Succession | The order in which a monarch's heirs will inherit the throne. |
Abdication | The act of a monarch voluntarily giving up the throne. |
Regent | A person who rules a country in the place of a monarch who is unable to do so. |
Coronation | The ceremony in which a monarch is officially crowned. |
Royal Court | The people who serve a monarch and their household. |
Palace | The official residence of a monarch. |
Royal Guard | The armed forces that protect a monarch and their family. |
Royal Symbolism | The objects, images, and rituals associated with a monarchy. |
29 Terms Related to Republic
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Republic | A form of government where supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives. |
Democracy | A political system where the people have the power to make decisions and govern themselves. |
Representative Democracy | A form of democracy where people elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf. |
Direct Democracy | A form of democracy where people vote directly on laws and policies. |
Federal Republic | A republic where power is divided between a central government and smaller, regional governments. |
Unitary Republic | A republic where all power is concentrated in the central government. |
Presidential Republic | A republic where the head of state is a president who is both the head of government and the chief executive. |
Parliamentary Republic | A republic where the head of state is a ceremonial figure, and the government is led by a prime minister. |
Constitution | A document that outlines the basic laws and principles of a government. |
Bill of Rights | A document that guarantees the fundamental rights of citizens. |
Legislature | The law-making body of a government. |
Congress | The legislative body of the United States. |
Parliament | The legislative body of the United Kingdom. |
Executive Branch | The branch of government responsible for carrying out laws. |
President | The head of state and government in a presidential republic. |
Prime Minister | The head of government in a parliamentary republic. |
Cabinet | A group of government ministers who advise the president or prime minister. |
Judiciary | The branch of government responsible for interpreting laws and resolving disputes. |
Supreme Court | The highest court in a country. |
Judicial Review | The power of a court to declare laws unconstitutional. |
Electoral College | A body of electors that chooses the president in the United States. |
Suffrage | The right to vote. |
Political Party | A group of people who share similar political beliefs and work together to achieve their goals. |
Election | A process by which people choose their representatives. |
Ballot | A document used to vote in an election. |
Voter Turnout | The percentage of eligible voters who actually vote in an election. |
Political Campaign | The organized effort by a candidate or political party to win an election. |
Public Opinion | The collective opinions of the public on a particular issue. |
29 Terms Related to Dictatorship
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Dictatorship | A form of government where a single person or small group holds absolute power. |
Autocracy | A government ruled by a single person with unlimited power. |
Totalitarianism | A form of government that seeks to control all aspects of society, including politics, economics, and culture. |
Tyranny | A government ruled by a cruel and oppressive leader. |
Despotism | A form of government characterized by arbitrary and oppressive rule. |
Authoritarianism | A political system where a small group or single person holds power and suppresses opposition. |
Militarism | A policy or belief that a country should maintain a strong military. |
Police State | A state where the government heavily relies on police and surveillance to maintain control. |
Propaganda | The spread of information or ideas to promote a particular cause or point of view. |
Censorship | The control or suppression of speech or publication. |
Surveillance | The close observation of a person or group. |
Repression | The act of suppressing or subduing something. |
Persecution | The act of treating a person or group of people unfairly or harshly. |
Genocide | The deliberate and systematic extermination of a group of people. |
Cult of Personality | A situation where a leader is idolized and worshipped. |
Propaganda | The spread of information or ideas to promote a particular cause or point of view. |
Censorship | The control or suppression of speech or publication. |
Surveillance | The close observation of a person or group. |
Repression | The act of suppressing or subduing something. |
Persecution | The act of treating a person or group of people unfairly or harshly. |
Genocide | The deliberate and systematic extermination of a group of people. |
Cult of Personality | A situation where a leader is idolized and worshipped. |
Coup d'état | A sudden and violent overthrow of a government. |
Martial Law | Military rule imposed in response to a crisis. |
Emergency Powers | Extraordinary powers granted to a government in times of crisis. |
Gulag | A forced labor camp in the Soviet Union. |
Concentration Camp | A place where large groups of people, especially political prisoners, are detained and often subjected to harsh conditions. |
Political Prisoner | A person imprisoned for their political beliefs or activities. |
Dissent | The expression of opinions or beliefs that oppose official policy. |
29 Terms Related to Dictatorship
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Dictatorship | A form of government where a single person or small group holds absolute power. |
Autocracy | A government ruled by a single person with unlimited power. |
Totalitarianism | A form of government that seeks to control all aspects of society, including politics, economics, and culture. |
Tyranny | A government ruled by a cruel and oppressive leader. |
Despotism | A form of government characterized by arbitrary and oppressive rule. |
Authoritarianism | A political system where a small group or single person holds power and suppresses opposition. |
Militarism | A policy or belief that a country should maintain a strong military. |
Police State | A state where the government heavily relies on police and surveillance to maintain control. |
Propaganda | The spread of information or ideas to promote a particular cause or point of view. |
Censorship | The control or suppression of speech or publication. |
Surveillance | The close observation of a person or group. |
Repression | The act of suppressing or subduing something. |
Persecution | The act of treating a person or group of people unfairly or harshly. |
Genocide | The deliberate and systematic extermination of a group of people. |
Cult of Personality | A situation where a leader is idolized and worshipped. |
Propaganda | The spread of information or ideas to promote a particular cause or point of view. |
Censorship | The control or suppression of speech or publication. |
Surveillance | The close observation of a person or group. |
Repression | The act of suppressing or subduing something. |
Persecution | The act of treating a person or group of people unfairly or harshly. |
Genocide | The deliberate and systematic extermination of a group of people. |
Cult of Personality | A situation where a leader is idolized and worshipped. |
Coup d'état | A sudden and violent overthrow of a government. |
Martial Law | Military rule imposed in response to a crisis. |
Emergency Powers | Extraordinary powers granted to a government in times of crisis. |
Gulag | A forced labor camp in the Soviet Union. |
Concentration Camp | A place where large groups of people, especially political prisoners, are detained and often subjected to harsh conditions. |
Political Prisoner | A person imprisoned for their political beliefs or activities. |
Dissent | The expression of opinions or beliefs that oppose official policy. |
29 Terms Related to Theocracy
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Theocracy | A government ruled by religious leaders who claim divine authority. |
Divine Right of Kings | The belief that a monarch's authority comes directly from God. |
Religious Law | Laws based on religious teachings. |
Cleric | A person ordained to perform religious rites. |
Imam | A religious leader in Islam. |
Rabbi | A religious leader in Judaism. |
Priest | A religious leader, especially in Christianity. |
Pope | The head of the Catholic Church. |
Ayatollah | A high-ranking religious leader in Iran. |
Patriarch | A head of a church or religious community. |
Hierarchy | A system of organization in which people or things are ranked according to their importance. |
Religious Police | A force tasked with enforcing religious laws. |
Religious Freedom | The right to practice any religion or no religion at all. |
Blasphemy | The act of speaking or writing disrespectfully about God or religion. |
Heresy | The belief or teaching that is considered to be contrary to the accepted doctrines of a religion. |
Inquisition | A religious court that investigated and punished heresy. |
Jihad | A holy war undertaken by Muslims to defend their faith. |
Crusades | A series of religious wars launched by European Christians to reclaim the Holy Land from Muslims. |
Religious Extremism | The belief that religion should be the dominant force in society and that extreme measures may be necessary to achieve this goal. |
Religious Fundamentalism | A belief in the strict observance of religious laws and traditions. |
Secularism | The separation of religion from the state. |
State Church | A church officially recognized and supported by a government. |
Religious Tolerance | The acceptance of different religious beliefs. |
Religious Pluralism | The existence of a variety of religions within a society. |
Interfaith Dialogue | Communication and cooperation between people of different religions. |
Religious Conversion | The act of changing one's religious beliefs. |
Religious Persecution | The treatment of a person or group of people unfairly or harshly because of their religious beliefs. |
Religious Conflict | Conflict between people of different religions. |
29 Terms Related to Communist States
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Communist State | A state where the government owns and controls the means of production and distribution. |
Marxism-Leninism | The ideology that forms the basis of most communist states. |
Socialism | A political and economic system where the community owns and controls property and resources. |
Revolution | A sudden and violent overthrow of an existing government. |
Proletariat | The working class. |
Bourgeoisie | The middle class. |
Class Struggle | The conflict between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. |
Dictatorship of the Proletariat | A temporary period of rule by the working class before the establishment of a communist society. |
Communist Party | The ruling party in a communist state. |
Centralized Planning | An economic system where the government makes all decisions about production and distribution. |
State-Owned Enterprises | Businesses owned and operated by the government. |
Collectivization | The process of combining small farms into large, state-owned farms. |
Planned Economy | An economy where production and distribution are planned by the government. |
Command Economy | Another term for a planned economy. |
Economic Inequality | The unequal distribution of wealth and resources within a society. |
Classless Society | A society where there are no social classes. |
Communist Manifesto | A book written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels that outlines the principles of communism. |
Soviet Union | The former communist state that existed from 1917 to 1991. |
People's Republic of China | The communist state that has existed since 1949. |
Iron Curtain | A term used to describe the division between communist and non-communist states in Europe after World War II. |
Cold War | The ideological and political conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. |
Détente | A period of improved relations between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1970s. |
Glasnost | The policy of openness introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev in the Soviet Union. |
Perestroika | The policy of restructuring introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev in the Soviet Union. |
Velvet Revolution | A peaceful revolution that led to the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia in 1989. |
Fall of the Berlin Wall | A symbolic event that marked the end of the Cold War. |
29 Terms Related to Communist State
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Communist State | A state where the government owns and controls the means of production and distribution. |
Marxism-Leninism | The ideology that forms the basis of most communist states. |
Socialism | A political and economic system where the community owns and controls property and resources. |
Revolution | A sudden and violent overthrow of an existing government. |
Proletariat | The working class. |
Bourgeoisie | The middle class. |
Class Struggle | The conflict between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. |
Dictatorship of the Proletariat | A temporary period of rule by the working class before the establishment of a communist society. |
Communist Party | The ruling party in a communist state. |
Centralized Planning | An economic system where the government makes all decisions about production and distribution. |
State-Owned Enterprises | Businesses owned and operated by the government. |
Collectivization | The process of combining small farms into large, state-owned farms. |
Planned Economy | An economy where production and distribution are planned by the government. |
Command Economy | Another term for a planned economy. |
Economic Inequality | The unequal distribution of wealth and resources within a society. |
Classless Society |