Who holds power?
Every country needs some way of making decisions, keeping order and providing services. The key question that separates systems of government is: Who holds power, and how did they get it?
Main types of government
| System | Who holds power? | How do leaders get power? | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democracy | the people | free, fair elections | Canada, United States, India, Japan |
| Absolute monarchy | a king, queen or sultan | inherited | Saudi Arabia, Brunei, Eswatini |
| Constitutional monarchy | elected officials, with a monarch as symbolic head of state | elections (monarch inherits) | Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, Sweden |
| Dictatorship (authoritarian) | one person or party | force, rigged elections, inheritance | North Korea |
| Oligarchy | a small, powerful group | wealth, military or family ties | historically Sparta; often a feature of other systems |
| Theocracy | religious leaders | religious authority | Iran (mixed with elected bodies), Vatican City |
Real countries often mix features. Iran holds elections but religious leaders have final authority. Some countries hold elections that are not truly free.
Democracy
In a democracy, power comes from the people.
- Direct democracy: citizens vote on laws themselves. Ancient Athens is the classic example, although only free adult men could take part. Switzerland still uses many referendums today.
- Representative democracy: citizens elect representatives to make laws. This is the most common form today.
Strong democracies share key features:
- free and fair elections with more than one party
- protected rights such as free speech, a free press and freedom of assembly
- the rule of law: leaders must obey the law
- independent courts
- peaceful transfer of power when governments lose elections
Parliamentary and presidential systems
Democracies organize their governments in different ways.
Parliamentary system
In a parliamentary system (Canada, United Kingdom, Australia), voters elect members of a legislature, the Parliament. The leader of the party that can win votes in Parliament becomes prime minister. The prime minister and Cabinet sit in Parliament and must keep its support, called confidence. If they lose a major vote, the government can fall and an election may follow.
Presidential system
In a presidential system (United States, Mexico, Brazil), voters elect the president separately from the legislature. The president is both head of state and head of government, serves a fixed term and cannot be removed by a simple vote of no confidence. Power is divided among separate branches that check each other.
| Parliamentary (Canada) | Presidential (United States) | |
|---|---|---|
| Head of government | prime minister | president |
| Head of state | the monarch (represented by the Governor General) | president |
| How leader is chosen | leads the party with the confidence of the House | elected separately (through the Electoral College) |
| Leader sits in legislature? | yes | no |
| Term | until confidence is lost or an election is called (max. 5 years) | fixed four-year term |
Monarchies today
Most monarchies today are constitutional. In Canada, the King is head of state, but elected officials make the decisions. The monarch’s role is mostly ceremonial and is carried out by the Governor General in Canada and by lieutenant governors in the provinces. A few countries still have absolute monarchs who hold real power.
Authoritarian governments
In a dictatorship or other authoritarian government, leaders hold power without real accountability to voters. Common features include:
- no free elections, or elections without real choice
- control of the media and censorship
- limits on protest and opposition parties
- courts that are not independent
- secret police or harsh punishment of critics
How to compare systems
When comparing governments, ask:
- Who makes the laws?
- How are leaders chosen and removed?
- Are rights protected? Is the press free?
- Are courts independent?
- Can citizens peacefully change their government?
Try it yourself
- Make a chart comparing democracy, monarchy and dictatorship using the five questions above.
- Explain why Canada is both a democracy and a constitutional monarchy.
- Choose one country and research its system of government.
- Debate: "Is a parliamentary system or a presidential system better at getting things done?"
Quick recap
- Systems of government differ in who holds power and how they got it.
- Democracies get power from the people through elections.
- Most monarchies today are constitutional, with elected governments.
- Dictatorships hold power without real accountability.
- Canada has a parliamentary system; the United States has a presidential system.