The form of government is a system of higher bodies of state power. This concept includes the structure of their formation and the distribution of powers between them. The monarchy and the republic are the main forms of government.
The first - the monarchy - is characterized solely (or almost solely) by the exercise of power. Under such a system, power is usually inherited.
The origin and development of the monarchical form of government took place in a slave system. In the feudal period, this system became the main one. It is believed that the oldest monarchist dynasty in the world is the Japanese.
The classical monarchy is endowed with the following main characteristics:
- the presence of the sole head of state, endowed with power and enjoying it for life (pharaoh, sultan, emir, shah, emperor, king, king);
- the implementation of the succession of power by inheritance;
- the presence of the monarch of legal irresponsibility (the inability to apply the impeachment (accusation) process to the head of state). It should be noted that in history there are many examples, both of conspiracy against the monarchs, and the creation of a revolutionary situation in the country with the aim of overthrowing the autocracy.
An absolute monarchy is a form of government in which all supreme power, in accordance with the law, belongs entirely to one person.
Under constitutional autocracy, the power of the head of state is largely limited to a representative body. As a rule, such restrictions are determined by the constitution, which, in turn, is approved by parliament. The head of state is not entitled to amend the constitution.
The constitutional monarchy distinguishes between dualistic and parliamentary forms of government.
Under a parliamentary system of government, government formation is made up of representatives of a particular party (or several parties), who received a majority of the vote. In this case, the leader of the party that has the largest number of deputy seats becomes the head of state. The parliamentary form of government is characterized by the absence of the monarch of actual power in the judicial, executive and legislative fields. Under such a system, parliament adopts legislative acts, and the head of state formally signs them. The Constitution provides for government responsibility not to the autocrat, but to parliament. This public administration system exists, for example, in Denmark, Belgium, and Great Britain.
The dualistic monarchy has a dual character. The actual and legal separation of powers is carried out in the government, which is formed by parliament and the monarch.
A republic is a form of government in a state in which elected bodies exercise supreme power. These bodies are elected by the population for a specified period.
Common features of this form of government include:
- the presence of a collegial or sole head of state;
- the election of the supreme bodies of power (including the head of state) for a certain period;
- the implementation of management (power) on behalf of the people, and not at its discretion;
- the binding nature of all decisions of the supreme state power;
- the presence of legal liability prescribed by law with the head of state.
There is a parliamentary and presidential form of government in the state. Both varieties are modern power systems.
In a parliamentary republic, the parliament plays the leading role in shaping life in the country. In the presidential form of government, along with parliamentarism, the powers of the government and state head are combined in the hands of the president.