Basic forms of government

The term "form of government" is understood as a certain system of organization and interaction of the country's highest authorities. There are two types of systems: republic and monarchy.

The word "monarchy" is of Greek origin and literally means "the power of one" (autocracy). For this form of government is characterized by the concentration (partial or complete) of power in the hands of one person - the head of the country (shah, emperor, king, king, etc.). As a rule, power is inherited under such a system.

For absolute monarchy, the sovereignty of the head of the country is characteristic. In this case, the ruler is the only sovereign of power, he independently publishes laws, executes the court, appoints the government. Today, this form of government can be observed only in some countries: the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Brunei, Saudi Arabia.

The constitutional monarchy has several other features. This form of government is characterized by a certain restriction of the power of the head of state. As a rule, this restriction is reflected in the Constitution. A constitutional monarchy is developing in the conditions of the formation of bourgeois society.

In accordance with the degree of restriction, the authorities define two forms of government: dualistic and parliamentary.

The dualistic monarchy provides for the preservation of the executive power over the monarch. The head of the country also retains the right to form a government, dissolve parliament and veto.

The parliamentary monarchy is characterized by the separation of powers. Formation of the government occurs at the expense of representatives from the party (or from several parties) of the majority. It is also characteristic of this form of government that the government is accountable not to the monarch, but to the parliament.

Among countries with parliamentary monarchy should be allocated to Great Britain, Sweden, Japan, Spain and others.

The Republican form of government is characterized by the election of the state head. The term "republic" is literally treated as a "public affair". With such a system of government , the people act as the source of power . The republican form of government was formed for the first time in the 5-4 centuries BC. E. in Athens.

In accordance with the method of organization and interaction of branches of state administration, three types of the republic are distinguished.

The first, presidential form of government is characterized by the fact that the president is simultaneously the head both in the state and in the government. In this case, usually such a position as the Prime Minister is not provided. The presidential election is also characteristic of this system. The head of state has a number of powers. First of all, it can form a government that is not responsible to the parliament. With this form of government, there is a strict division of power. Such a system of government exists, in particular, in the United States.

The republic can also be parliamentary. In this case, the parliament has all the supreme power in the state. The president usually under such conditions has a purely symbolic power and does not have a significant influence on political life in the country. At the same time, the parliament is elected by the people. The government is formed from the representatives of the coalition or the majority party in the parliament.

There are also atypical forms of government in the state. Such systems include a monarchical, semi-parliamentary, semi-presidential republic, a republican monarchy.

The mixed republics are characterized by the presence of features of both the parliamentary and presidential system of state administration. Such a form is expedient and effective provided that the parliamentary majority and the head of state adhere to one political direction, and not the opposite one.