Forms of Government

Democratic Forms of Government• Democratic Republic: elected President or

Prime Minister– Examples: U.S., France, Brazil, India, Mexico

Brazil’s President Rousseff

Democratic Forms of Government

• Democratic Constitutional Monarchy: elected Prime Minister, King or Queen as symbolic leader– Examples: United

Kingdom, Spain, Japan

England’s Queen Elizabeth and U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron

Constitutional Monarchies

Spain’s King Felipe VI Japan’s Emperor AkihitoNorway’s King Harald V

11 European Monarchies in Red

All but Liechtenstein are constitutional monarchies

Authoritarian Forms of Government

• Absolute Monarchy: rule by monarch or royal family

• Theocracy: rule by religious leaders• One-party: rule by one political party such as

the Communist Party• Military junta: rule by military leaders

Citizens do not vote for their leaders through free and fair elections.

Most Absolute Monarchies Today Are in the Middle East

Saudi Arabia

Qatar

Oman

Absolute MonarchyExamples: Brunei, Oman,

Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Swaziland

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah

Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani

Swaziland’s King Mswati II

Theocracy• Examples: Iran, Vatican City

Iran’s Supreme Ruler Khamenei

Iran’s President Rouhani

Pope Francis

One Party Rule (Communist Party)

• Examples: China, Cuba, North Korea, Eritrea, Laos, Vietnam

North Korea’s Kim Jong-un

Cuba’s Raul CastroChina’s Xi Jinping

Military Junta• Current Examples: Burkina Faso, Thailand

Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha

Thai Students Protesting Against Military Junta

Transitional Government

Emergency or interim government set up to rule in time of transition, typically after a civil war.

Currently Burkina Faso, Egypt and Eritrea