From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This is a list of countries categorized by system of government currently in use.
Democratic republics
In which a country is governed by an elected head of state and legislature.
Democratic constitutional monarchies
In which a country is governed by an elected legislature and prime minister, with a monarch as a symbolic head of state.
Absolute monarchies
In which a country is governed solely by an absolute monarch along with other members of his family.
Authoritarian republics
In which a country is governed by a dictatorial leader or a single-party hierarchy that does not allow for effective popular opposition.
Military governments
In which a country is governed by the military which has seized control of the nation's political institutions.
Communist states
In which a country is governed by a Communist Party hierarchy that has banned all opposition. These governments also fit under the category of "authoritarian republics."
Transitional governments
In which a country is governed by a recently-established caretaker administration, and thus cannot be accurately identified as one of the above.
This list may be subject to debate. Some countries may fall into more than one category.
