Government is the institution which governs the country.The government is made up of people who set and administer public policy and exercises executive, political and sovereign power through various mechanisms.
Types of Government
1. Democracy: Democracy is a form of government that allows the people to choose leadership. The primary goal is to govern through fair representation and prevent abuses of power. e.g India, USA, United Kingdom etc.
2. Communism: Communism is a centralized form of government led by a single party that is often authoritarian in its rule. Inspired by German philosopher Karl Marx, communist states replace private property and a profit-based economy with public ownership and communal control of economic production, such as labour, capital goods, and natural resources. The Soviet Union was a one-party, communist state in Northern Eurasia from 1922 to 1991.
3. Socialism: Socialism is a system that encourages cooperation rather than competition among citizens. Citizens communally own the means of production and distribution of goods and services, while a centralized government manages it. Each person benefits from and contributes to the system according to their needs and ability. Socialism is the cornerstone of the Scandinavian nations of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. They all adhere to socialist policies that combine free-market capitalism.
4. Oligarchy: Oligarchies are governments in which a collection of individuals rules over a nation. A specific set of qualities, such as wealth, heredity, and race, are used to give a small group of people power. Oligarchies often have authoritative rulers and an absence of democratic practices or individual rights. The government that ruled South Africa from 1948 to 1991 was a racially constructed oligarchy. The minority white population exercised dominance and imposed segregation over the nation’s majority Black population.
5. Aristocracy refers to a government form in which a small, elite ruling class — the aristocrats — have power over those in lower socioeconomic strata. Members of the aristocracy are usually chosen based on their education, upbringing, and genetic or family history.
6.Monarchy: A monarchy is a power system that appoints a person as head of state for life or until abdication. Authority traditionally passes down through a succession line related to one’s bloodline and birth order within the ruling royal family, often limited by gender.e.g United Kingdom
7. Theocracy: Theocracy refers to a form of government in which a specific religious ideology determines leadership, laws, and customs. e.g. Iran.
8. Military Dictatorship: A military dictatorship is a nation ruled by a single authority with absolute power and no democratic process. The head of state typically comes to power in a time of upheavals, such as high unemployment rates or civil unrest. They usually lead the nation’s armed forces, using it to establish their brand of law and order and suppress the people’s rights. e.g Myanmar Junta.
