What are the different types of government systems in place? The sheer number of countries in the world is reflected by the different types of governments. From countries that are governed by religious heads to countries where the people elect the government, there are many types of governments. Given below is a table that lists the main types of governments.
| Types of Governments |
| Government Type | Description |
| Anarchy | Whether or not, this can be listed under types of government can be debatable but it is a state in which there is political discord and disorder. There is no authority to ensure lawlessness and there is complete absence of any form of authority in the form of a government. A state of anarchy generally emerges when there has been a civil war in the country, and there are groups fighting amongst themselves to gain control. |
| Communist Government | Based on the economic-political ideology of a government that follows communist principles is often authoritarian and holds supreme power. There is abolition of any form of private ownership. The main aim of the government is to create a society where the goods are shared equally by all. The aim of a communist government is a society that is classless. |
| Democracy | In a country that has a government that functions on democratic principles, the power lies with the people. There is certain age limit over which every citizen is eligible to vote for representatives who run the country. Therefore, the supreme power lies with the people of the country. Elections occur on a periodic basis in a and if the people are unhappy with the representatives they have elected, then they can always vote for new representatives. |
| Democracy | While generally a dictatorship refers to a form of government in which the absolute power of running the country lies with one person, sometimes the power can be helped by a small group of people. In most the person ruling the government would have taken over by force and therefore, would not be an elected representative. There are many countries in the world today that are run by military dictatorships in which the army of the country has taken over the government. |
| Ecclesiastical | This is a form of a government where all the legislative, judicial, and executive decisions are administered by the church. Similar to a theocracy, god is considered the state's highest authority and its supreme ruler. The officials running the government are considered guided by the divine. |
| Federal Government | A federal government is one of the main types of government prevalent in several countries around the world. The power is divided between a government with central authority and a number of different governments that run constituent states or regions. Each smaller government retains powers on a number of internal affairs and works with the central government on matters of national importance. |
| Monarchy | This is probably one of the oldest of the different types of government. The supreme power when it comes to ruling a government lies not with a group of elected representatives but a royal who sits on the throne due to his hereditary right to do so. There are some countries where the monarch is a constitutionally limited ruler sharing power with a government. |
| Oligarchy | It is a type of government where the power of ruling the country lies with a societal group that is set apart by the power it possesses either because it belongs to the royal family or because of the wealth that it possesses. Sometimes this group could come to power also because of its sheer military strength. The influence that this core societal group possesses passes from generation to generation. |
| Republic | It is one of the types of government in which there is a head of the government who is not a monarch but a representative chosen by the elected deputies of the people of the country. It is a form of representative democracy where the elected legislators vote for the head of the government. |
| Totalitarianism | One of the types of government in which the government holds supreme power and tries to rule the citizens of the country forcing them into subordination. They do this complete control of economic and political issues. They also retain control on the belief system of the entire population. |
| Transitional | In certain countries, there is occasionally a form of government that comes to power to legislate the country only because the country is between two types of governments. For example in some cases, there are governments that choose to become a democracy after years of being ruled by a dictator. In the interim period the government in power is called a transitional government. |
