Classification Essay: Types of Governments
There are several types of governments around the world. Three that are well known are democracies, monarchies, and theocracies. Each have characteristics of their own.
Democracies are governments based on the “rule of law”. This means that people should be governed by ethical principles. Additionally, they should be able to meet, discuss, and resolve any problems. In general, a democracy is a place where people will be heard. Citizens can become active through political participation and collaboration with institutions. A democracy mainly runs by the people and their opinions. However, there are still branches of government which control the laws. For example, The United States is a democratic government. They have three branches in charge of making laws. The head of the executive branch is also known as the president. He is in charge of vetoing, rejecting, or proposing laws. They also negotiate treaties with other countries. Additionally, they appoint members of agencies among other things. The judicial branch decides which whether or not laws violate the Constitution. The legislative branch writes up and votes on laws. Under a democracy, many rights are given to citizens. Mainly, they are given an opportunity to express themselves. Freedom of expression or ability to protest is common in democracies. Anyone familiar with democracies should agree that they should be able to voice what is wrong and right with their country. Citizens can vote on people to represent them. On other hand, they are able to vote them out of office. There are little to no rights that are prohibited. However, some laws can be justified to prevent civil unrest. Examples of democracies include: United States, Canada, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, and Switzerland.
Monarchies are governments based on the rule of a single person. Usually, this person is referred to as the head of state. They obtain their position through their families and rule until death. Monarchies tend to represent the nation’s cultural identity and symbolism. While it is true that the head of state is considered one of the highest positions in a monarchy, it does not necessarily follow that they have very limited powers. Today, the head of state in Britain is Queen Elizabeth II. Although she is of high class, she doesn’t control the laws. Some monarchies such as Great Britain have a prime minster. The prime minister determines what is right for the government. They work in the parliamentary system, as head of the cabinet. On the one hand, a parliamentary system enacts laws quickly. On the other hand, the people don’t directly vote for a prime minster, the cabinet does. Monarchies also have their own set of rights for citizens. They have freedom of speech, petition, right to bear arms, etc. Many Americans assume that Great Britain, although allowing the right to bear arms, have gun control problems, but they have banned any handguns. Examples of monarchies include: The United Kingdom, Belgium, Cambodia, etc.
Theocracies are governments guided by divine power. Leaders state that their power was handed down through a higher power. This distinction is important because certain laws deemed unfair are made and the finger is pointed towards the higher being. In a theocracy, members of the clergy are in charge. Their laws are all based on religious law. This type of ruling is important because unlike most countries, theocracies do not have a separation of church and state. It can leave less room for corruption. However, people cannot express themselves. There aren’t that many rights given to citizens in terms of expression. Many rights for freedom of speech or protest is prohibited. Any rights given are generally based on religion. Citizens can’t practice other religions. The clergy already chose what social norms citizen have to follow. Examples of theocracies include: Afghanistan, Iran, Yemen, etc.
Regardless of what is ethical, each government is different. Each type of government rules in a way suitable for them. This is not say one is better than the other, but rather, each have distinct characteristics that set them apart.
