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Definition of terms used to describe national governments:
ABSOLUTE MONARCHY - is a form of monarchy in which the monarch holds supreme
autocratic authority, principally not being restricted by written laws, legislature, or
customs. These are often hereditary monarchies.
AUTHORITARIAN - is a form of government characterized by strong central power and
limited political freedoms.
CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY - is a form of monarchy in which the sovereign
exercises authority in accordance with a written or unwritten constitution.
CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC - see Republic
DEVOLVED GOVERNMENT - is the statutory delegation of powers from the central
government of a sovereign state to govern at a subnational level, such as a regional or
local level. It is a form of administrative decentralization.
DICATORSHIP - is an authoritarian form of government, characterized by a single
leader or group of leaders and little or no toleration for political pluralism or independent
programs or media.
DOMINANT PARTY - is a system where there is "a category of parties/political
organisations that have successively won election victories and whose future defeat
cannot be envisaged or is unlikely for the foreseeable future.
ELECTIVE MONARCHY - is a monarchy ruled by an elected monarch.
ETHNIC FEDERALISM - is a federal system of national government in which the
federated units are defined according to ethnicity.
FEDERAL - is the mixed or compound mode of government, combining a general
government (the central or "federal" government) with regional governments (provincial,
state, cantonal, territorial) in a single political system. The division of power between
the two levels of government are of equal status.
MARXIST-LENINIST - is a political philosophy that seeks to establish a socialist state
and then develop it further into socialism and eventually communism. They generally
support the idea of a vanguard party, a communist party-led state, state-dominance
over the economy, internationalism and opposition to bourgeois democracy, capitalism,
imperialism and racism.
MONARCHY - is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state
until death or abdication. The legitimation and governing power of the monarch may vary
from purely symbolic (crowned republic), to restricted (constitutional monarchy), to fully
autocratic (absolute monarchy), combining executive, legislative and judicial power.
In most cases, the succession of monarchies is hereditary, but there are also elective
and self-proclaimed monarchies, often building dynastic periods.
ONE-PARTY STATE - is a type of state in which one political party has the right to form
the government. All other parties are outlawed.
PARLIAMENTARY - is a system of democratic governance of a state where the
executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the confidence of
the legislature, typically a parliament, and is also held accountable to that parliament. In
a parliamentary system, the head of state is usually a person distinct from the head of
government.
PRESIDENTIAL - is a democratic and republican government in which a head of
government leads an executive branch that is separate from the legislative branch.
This head of government is in most cases also the head of state, which is called
president.
REPUBLIC - is a form of government in which the country is considered a "public
matter", not the private concern or property of the rulers.
SEMI-PRESIDENTIAL - is a system of government in which a president exists alongside
a prime minister and a cabinet, with the latter being responsible to the legislature of the
state. It differs from a parliamentary republic in that it has a popularly elected head of
state, who is more than a mostly ceremonial figurehead, and from the presidential system
in that the cabinet, although named by the president, is responsible to the legislature,
which may force the cabinet to resign through a motion of no confidence.
SOCIALIST - is a sovereign state constitutionally dedicated to the establishment of
socialism. The term communist state is often used interchangeably in the West, but
these countries never describe themselves as communist.
THEOCRATIC REPUBLIC - Nations that maintain religious laws and courts to interpret
all aspects of law. Currently this is found in Islamic societies.
TOTALITARIANISM - is a political system or a form of government that prohibits
opposition parties, restricts individual opposition to the state and its claims, and
exercises an extremely high degree of control over public and private life. It is regarded
as the most extreme and complete form of authoritarianism. Political power in totalitarian
states has often been held by autocrats which employ all-encompassing propaganda
campaigns broadcast by state-controlled mass media.
UNITARY STATE - is a state governed as a single power in which the central government
is ultimately supreme.
ABSOLUTE MONARCHY - is a form of monarchy in which the monarch holds supreme
autocratic authority, principally not being restricted by written laws, legislature, or
customs. These are often hereditary monarchies.
AUTHORITARIAN - is a form of government characterized by strong central power and
limited political freedoms.
CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY - is a form of monarchy in which the sovereign
exercises authority in accordance with a written or unwritten constitution.
CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC - see Republic
DEVOLVED GOVERNMENT - is the statutory delegation of powers from the central
government of a sovereign state to govern at a subnational level, such as a regional or
local level. It is a form of administrative decentralization.
DICATORSHIP - is an authoritarian form of government, characterized by a single
leader or group of leaders and little or no toleration for political pluralism or independent
programs or media.
DOMINANT PARTY - is a system where there is "a category of parties/political
organisations that have successively won election victories and whose future defeat
cannot be envisaged or is unlikely for the foreseeable future.
ELECTIVE MONARCHY - is a monarchy ruled by an elected monarch.
ETHNIC FEDERALISM - is a federal system of national government in which the
federated units are defined according to ethnicity.
FEDERAL - is the mixed or compound mode of government, combining a general
government (the central or "federal" government) with regional governments (provincial,
state, cantonal, territorial) in a single political system. The division of power between
the two levels of government are of equal status.
MARXIST-LENINIST - is a political philosophy that seeks to establish a socialist state
and then develop it further into socialism and eventually communism. They generally
support the idea of a vanguard party, a communist party-led state, state-dominance
over the economy, internationalism and opposition to bourgeois democracy, capitalism,
imperialism and racism.
MONARCHY - is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state
until death or abdication. The legitimation and governing power of the monarch may vary
from purely symbolic (crowned republic), to restricted (constitutional monarchy), to fully
autocratic (absolute monarchy), combining executive, legislative and judicial power.
In most cases, the succession of monarchies is hereditary, but there are also elective
and self-proclaimed monarchies, often building dynastic periods.
ONE-PARTY STATE - is a type of state in which one political party has the right to form
the government. All other parties are outlawed.
PARLIAMENTARY - is a system of democratic governance of a state where the
executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the confidence of
the legislature, typically a parliament, and is also held accountable to that parliament. In
a parliamentary system, the head of state is usually a person distinct from the head of
government.
PRESIDENTIAL - is a democratic and republican government in which a head of
government leads an executive branch that is separate from the legislative branch.
This head of government is in most cases also the head of state, which is called
president.
REPUBLIC - is a form of government in which the country is considered a "public
matter", not the private concern or property of the rulers.
SEMI-PRESIDENTIAL - is a system of government in which a president exists alongside
a prime minister and a cabinet, with the latter being responsible to the legislature of the
state. It differs from a parliamentary republic in that it has a popularly elected head of
state, who is more than a mostly ceremonial figurehead, and from the presidential system
in that the cabinet, although named by the president, is responsible to the legislature,
which may force the cabinet to resign through a motion of no confidence.
SOCIALIST - is a sovereign state constitutionally dedicated to the establishment of
socialism. The term communist state is often used interchangeably in the West, but
these countries never describe themselves as communist.
THEOCRATIC REPUBLIC - Nations that maintain religious laws and courts to interpret
all aspects of law. Currently this is found in Islamic societies.
TOTALITARIANISM - is a political system or a form of government that prohibits
opposition parties, restricts individual opposition to the state and its claims, and
exercises an extremely high degree of control over public and private life. It is regarded
as the most extreme and complete form of authoritarianism. Political power in totalitarian
states has often been held by autocrats which employ all-encompassing propaganda
campaigns broadcast by state-controlled mass media.
UNITARY STATE - is a state governed as a single power in which the central government
is ultimately supreme.
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of
all the final goods and services produced in a specific time period. GDP (nominal)
per capita does not, however, reflect differences in the cost of living and the
inflation rates of the countries; therefore using a basis of GDP per capita at
purchasing power parity (PPP) is arguably more useful when comparing living
standards between nations, while nominal GDP is more useful comparing national
economies on the international market.
All GDP figures on this Web Site use PPP.
all the final goods and services produced in a specific time period. GDP (nominal)
per capita does not, however, reflect differences in the cost of living and the
inflation rates of the countries; therefore using a basis of GDP per capita at
purchasing power parity (PPP) is arguably more useful when comparing living
standards between nations, while nominal GDP is more useful comparing national
economies on the international market.
All GDP figures on this Web Site use PPP.
NOTES:
All countries are UNITARY or FEDERAL.
The number of Federal nations is much smaller.
Some prominent examples are USA/Canada/Mexico, Germany and India,
The Marxist-Leninist states are Vietnam, Laos and Cuba.
The One-Party states are China and North Korea, while the nations with a
Dominant Party include Russia, Nicaragua and many Central & Eastern
African nations.
Dictatorships include Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Cambodia.
All countries are UNITARY or FEDERAL.
The number of Federal nations is much smaller.
Some prominent examples are USA/Canada/Mexico, Germany and India,
The Marxist-Leninist states are Vietnam, Laos and Cuba.
The One-Party states are China and North Korea, while the nations with a
Dominant Party include Russia, Nicaragua and many Central & Eastern
African nations.
Dictatorships include Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Cambodia.