Writing government

 

Hello, friends!

Today, I'm coming with a post about different government types that you can include in your story. It's also a step to take in world-building. 

I want to highlight that I'm not interested in politics, and this post is definitely not going in details about how each system works (nor does it include every single existing type). It's merely a tool made of my notes, supposed to help with orientation within the topic.

Let's get into it!

AUTOCRACY

- 1 ruler, known as the autocrat, has absolute power

for example:

DICTATORSHIP

- 1 ruler

- oppressive regime, individual freedom is strictly limited by state

- sometimes elites are necessary to carry out the dictator's rule. They form an inner circle, making up a class of elites that hold a degree of power within the dictatorship and receive benefits in exchange for their support

MONARCHY

- ruled by a queen or a king

- succession determined by birthright

- consists of distinct but interdependent institutions—a government, state administration, a court

TOTALITARIAN

- centralized and dictatorial, requires complete subservience to the state

DEMOCRACY

- people have the power to participate in decision-making

DIRECT democracy: people help make decisions directly by voting on laws and policy proposals

INDIRECT democracy: people elect representatives who adopt laws and make decisions on their behalf

for example:

REPUBLIC

- form of government in which the people hold power, but elect representatives to exercise that power

FEUDALISM

- king at the top with nobles, knights and vassals below him

- the nobility is given land from the Crown in exchange for military service 

- in large part, feudalism died out by the XXth century

THEOCRACY

- ruled by religious leaders

- church and the state are not separated

- laws are dictated by religious doctrine

COMMUNISM

- all property is owned by the community and each person contributes and receives according to their ability and needs

- ruled by the party with a General Secretary as a leader (usually)

FEDERATION

- an entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces under a federal government

- each individual state manages their internal affairs

OLIGARCHY

- "government by the few”; especially despotic power exercised by a small and privileged group for corrupt or selfish purposes

- oligarchies in which members of the ruling group are wealthy or exercise their power through their wealth are known as plutocracies

GERONTOCRACY 

- ruled by elderly

- power one holds grows with age

ANARCHY

- a state of disorder due to absence or non-recognition of authority or other controlling systems

- OR/also: the organization of society on the basis of voluntary cooperation, without political institutions or hierarchical government

COLONIALISM

- a ruling power establishes administrative control over a territory through either direct rule with bureaucratic structures or indirect rule by utilizing existing local power systems

- it's a practice of domination, which involves exploiting of people and resources by a foreign group

SOCIALISM vs CAPITALISM

SOCIALISM = major industries are owned by workers rather than by private businesses

CAPITALISM = private actors, like business owners and shareholders, can own the means of production