The dualistic monarchy is a form of government that is now not too widespread. It arose in the distant centuries and now has acquired the status of a political vestigial. Nevertheless, some countries of the world, both European and Asian, are content with such a system of power.
Description of the term
In legal terms, the dualistic monarchy is one of the types of constitutional monarchy. From a practical and theoretical point of view, the monarch has unlimited rights and powers in relation to his state. However, formally, its influence and range of actions are limited by the constitution. This form of government got its name due to the fact that in the country, in addition to the monarch, there is another no less important person - the minister. The essence of such power implies that not one of the orders of the monarch can be implemented before the minister confirms it. In this case, a vicious circle is formed: only the head of the state has the right to appoint a minister, and he can remove him from his post. Thus, the dualistic monarchy is, in fact, absolute power, which is transmitted in the circle of the most august persons from generation to generation.
Countries with a similar power device
Nowadays, many states have long switched to presidential-parliamentary and other management systems, but some remain true to their former traditions. These are states in which the dualistic monarchy is still preserved. Examples of countries can be found on all continents of the Eastern Hemisphere, and now we will list them briefly. In Europe it is Sweden, Denmark, Monaco, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein. In the Middle East - Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, in the Far East - Japan. Some of these countries are simultaneously classified as an absolute monarchy, where all practical and legislative power belongs to the holder of the throne. We also note that in some powers the constitutional and dualistic monarchy are synonyms. Examples of countries of this type are Denmark, Sweden, Luxembourg.
What is pure constitutional monarchy
This term refers to the type of power, which is divided into two types. The first is a parliamentary monarchy. Its essence is that members of parliament are elected by voting. Which party will gain more people's votes, that will become the basis of the legislative power in the country. The leader of the victorious party becomes practically the head of state. The monarch himself in this situation performs a purely formal role. He can participate in decisions, laws, acts, but his voice is not decisive. Thus, all responsibility rests with parliament. The second type is the dualistic constitutional monarchy. Here the monarch already has more fundamental rights, he approves all laws, acts and decisions, and controls the activities of other management bodies. He also has the right to recruit new people in the sphere of leadership of the country and dismiss former employees.
Signs of the dualistic monarchy
So, we list the main characteristics by which you can determine whether a country fits this category or not:
- At the head of the state is the monarch and other persons who exercise power.
- Only a monarch can elect these persons, as well as remove them.
- The government of the country should be responsible only to the monarch, and not to the parliament.
- The monarch is formally and practically the head of the country. No decisions are made without him; he corrects the work of other authorities. In a word, his power is almost unlimited.
- The dualistic form of the monarchy is considered a transitional stage between parliamentary and absolute. However, it gravitates more to the second, since, in fact, such a power is in the hands of one person.
Retrospective look
This form of state power was once inherent in our country. When rebellion strikes and coups began in Russia, and the “eternal” problems of our Fatherland — agrarian, national, and geopolitical — intensified, it was the dualistic monarchy that was temporarily established. This type of government lasted from 1905 to 1917, and it ceased to exist on our lands with the installation of the Soviet socialist regime.
The most prominent representative of this form of government was also the Austro-Hungarian Empire. From 1867 until the collapse of the country, a dualistic monarchy was established. At the same time, the state was divided into two autonomous parts from each other, each of which had its own laws and regulations. If you look even deeper into the centuries, you can see that a similar form of government was in all of Europe and in Asia. It was like a transitional stage from the absolute power of the king to the parliamentary system, which lasted for many centuries.
Conclusion
To summarize. The dualistic monarchy is a form of government in which power is exercised by one person. Formally, the monarch coordinates his actions with the parliament and other representatives of the government, but almost every decision that becomes law for the whole country is taken by him alone. After all, the ruling person chooses all his employees and advisers, and he, with the slightest disobedience, can fire them. Today, such a state apparatus is already considered a rarity. All countries have long switched to a presidential-parliamentary type of government, which is also supported by the votes of the people. Indeed, in order to rule a vast country, especially considering the pace of development of modern society, you need to be an extremely strong and disproportionately wise person.