This unit classifies governments based on different principles: the source of power, the division of power, and the relationship between the branches of government.
This classification is based on the source of authority and the extent of political participation.
| Feature | Democratic Government | Dictatorial Government (Dictatorship) |
|---|---|---|
| Source of Power | Based on the consent of the people. Power flows from below. | Based on force and coercion. Power flows from the top. |
| Rights & Liberties | Guarantees fundamental rights and civil liberties. | No rights; liberties are severely restricted. The state is supreme. |
| Rule of Law | Government is based on the rule of law (law is supreme). | Based on the arbitrary rule of a person or group (ruler is supreme). |
| Accountability | Government is accountable to the people through regular, free, and fair elections. | No accountability to the people. No free elections. |
| Example | India, USA, UK | Nazi Germany, Modern North Korea |
This classification is based on the territorial distribution of powers between the central government and regional/local governments.
| Feature | Unitary Government | Federal Government |
|---|---|---|
| Power Distribution | All powers are concentrated in a single central government. | Powers are divided between the central government and state/provincial governments by a constitution. |
| Constitution | May be written (France) or unwritten (UK). Can be flexible. | Must have a written and rigid constitution to specify the division of powers. |
| Regional Govts. | Regional governments exist, but they are created by and derive their powers from the central govt. They are subordinate. | State governments derive their powers directly from the constitution. They are autonomous in their own sphere. |
| Judiciary | Judiciary may or may not be supreme. | Must have a supreme, independent judiciary to act as an umpire in disputes between the centre and states. |
| Example | United Kingdom, France, Japan | USA, India, Australia, Canada |
This classification is based on the relationship between the executive and legislative branches of government.
| Feature | Parliamentary System | Presidential System |
|---|---|---|
| Executive | Dual Executive: Titular/Nominal Head (President/King) and Real Head (Prime Minister). | Single Executive: The President is both the Head of State and Head of Government. |
| Relationship | Fusion of Powers: The executive (Prime Minister & Cabinet) is drawn from the legislature and is part of it. | Separation of Powers: The executive (President) is separate from the legislature. The President is not a member of Congress. |
| Accountability | Collective Responsibility: The executive is collectively responsible to the legislature (specifically the lower house). | No Responsibility: The executive is not responsible to the legislature for its policies. |
| Tenure | The executive's tenure is not fixed. It remains in office only as long as it enjoys the confidence of the legislature. | The executive (President) has a fixed tenure and cannot be removed by a no-confidence vote. |
| Dissolution of House | The Prime Minister can advise the Head of State to dissolve the lower house. | The President cannot dissolve the legislature. |
| Example | India, United Kingdom, Canada | USA, Brazil |