Forms of Government
Written in part by Analiel
Some people, when writing a fantasy novel, spend a lot of time trying to make it as real as possible. Most fail, however, because they really don't know how the government systems could work. Here's a list of possible systems that would work in a fantasy novel. Choose one that sounds like it'd work, and then, I reccomend, do a tad bit more research before implementing it into your work.
*The following list is not completely credited to myself—I found the list on the internet a long time ago, and just recently found it stored on the computer. If you can find the credit, please let me know. Note that I did contribute to what you see here.*
Absolute Monarchy - kingdom in which monarch has complete power
Anarchy - a society or political system founded on a state of disorder due to absence of government
Aristocracy - government by a wealthy, privileged minority (nobility) or hereditary ruling class, comprising people of noble birth with hereditary titles *Think of Lords, Dukes, Counts.
Civil government - government established by laws made by citizens or their representatives; non-military, non-religious authority
Coalition government - temporary alliance of members of two or more parties to form governing majority
Collective - group or institution organized and run by all members equally
Commonwealth - independent state or community, especially a democratic republic
Constitutionalism - government based on written constitutional principles
Constitutional monarchy - government headed by monarch and regulated by constitution
Democracy - government by the people with majority rule exercised in periodic, free election of representatives
Despotism - government in which ruler exercises absolute power, often in cruel or oppressive manner * Think of a Despot--Tyrant
Dictatorship - autocratic government in which absolute power rests with one person *Think of Hitler
Duarchy or duumvirate - government or coalition of two people having joint authority
Dyarchy - (diarchy) dual responsibility shared by two independent authorities [e.g. colonial government and native ministers]
Empire - group of states or territories, nations or peoples governed by single sovereign authority *Think of Emperor
Fascism - authoritarian government based on establishing oppressive, one-part, centralized national regime
Federal government - system in which political units surrender individual sovereignty to central authority, but retain designated powers. Denotes a central government as distinguished from the separate units constituting a federation.
Feudalism - the dominant social system in medieval Europe (from 9th to 15th century) in which the nobility held lands from the Crown in exchange for military service, and vassals were tenants of and protected by the nobles, repaying the Lords with homage, labor and a share of the produce
Gerontocracy - rule by Elders
Gynecocracy - government by women or a woman (gynarchy)
Hagiocracy - government by group of persons believed to be holy
Hierocracy - rule by a priest or a ruling body of priests
Isocracy - government in which all individuals have equal political power
Matriarchy - government or monarchy in which power rests with females with descent reckoned through the female line
Meritocracy - government in which criterion for leadership is skill or intellectual achievement
Monarchy - government with absolute hereditary ruler who serves for life
Ochlocracy - rule by the populace; mob rule
Oligarchy - government by small group of privileged individuals
Pantisocracy - a form of utopian social organization in which all are equal in social position and responsibility
Parliamentary government - system in which executive (prime minister) is chosen by elected legislature (parliament) from among its members
Patriarchy - government or monarchy in which power rests with the males and descent is reckoned through the male line
Plutocracy - government by the wealthy; an elite or ruling class whose power derives from their wealth
Principality - state ruled by a prince, often part of larger state or empire
Regency - reign of non-monarch during youth or indisposition of monarch
Republic - government in which supreme power is vested in the people and their elected representatives of citizenry
Sovereignty - political autonomy; the authority of a state to govern itself or another state
Stratocracy - government by the military
Technocracy - government by an elite of technical experts
Thearchy - rule by a god or gods, or divine sovereignty
Theocracy - a system of government in which priests rule in the name of God or a god
Triarchy - government ruled jointly by three persons ( also called 'Triumvirate')
Tyranny - government by single absolute authority, exercising cruel, oppressive power *Think of Tyrant--Despot
Unitary government - system in which power is held by single central source, and local governments are merely administrative agents. The opposite of federalism