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Contributor: Jodi Powell. Lesson ID: 10724
Wherever you live, you are under some form of government structure. Who says government officials can tell us what to do? Discover reasons why we have governments and how they differ, for good or bad!
The idea of no rules sounds pretty fun.
Watch this short video for an idea of what that might look like.
All countries require governments so they can function. Governments provide laws, structure, public services, and national defense.
Read What Are the Different Types of Governments? to see a complete list. Try to think of past or current countries that fit into these categories.
Now, take a closer look at the following four systems: democracy, monarchy, dictatorship, and communism.
Democracy
Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is retained by the people, but it is usually exercised indirectly through a system of representation and delegated authority that is periodically renewed.
Watch the video below to learn more.
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Monarchy
Monarchy is a government in which the supreme power is lodged in the hands of a monarch who reigns over a state or territory, usually for life and by hereditary right. The monarch may be either a sole, absolute ruler, or a sovereign — such as a king, queen, or prince — with constitutionally limited authority.
Watch the video below to learn more.
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Dictatorship
Dictatorship is a form of government in which a ruler or small clique wields absolute power (not restricted by a constitution or laws).
Watch the next video to learn more.
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Communism
Communism is a system of government in which the state plans and controls the economy and a single — often authoritarian — party holds power. State controls are imposed with the elimination of private ownership of property and capital while claiming to make progress toward a higher social order in which all goods are equally shared by the people (i.e., a classless society).
Watch this final video to learn more.
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Look over the map below that labels systems of government across the globe.
| Map Legend | |
| blue | full presidential republics |
| green | parliamentary republics with an executive presidency dependent on the legislature |
| yellow | semi-presidential republics |
| orange | parliamentary republics |
| red | parliamentary constitutional monarchies in which the monarch does not personally exercise power |
| magenta | dual system constitutional monarchies in which the monarch personally exercises power (often alongside a weak parliament) |
| purple | absolute monarchies |
| brown | single-party state |
| olive | countries in which constitutional provisions for the government have been suspended (e.g., military dictatorships) |
| gray | no government |
Now that you have an overview of types of governments and their locations, continue to the Got It? section to play a matching game!
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