The term "monarchy" is of Greek origin. Literally, the concept means "autocracy", "autocracy". The main signs of the monarchy are the concentration of supreme power in the hands of the head of state and hereditary accession to the throne. However, power is not always transmitted from generation to generation. For example, the Commonwealth was headed by elected kings. In Byzantium, which was a monarchy, rulers were often killed. The throne, therefore, was occupied by the one who killed the king (by right of capture).
Absolute (unlimited) monarchy is characterized by perfect lack of rights of citizens, the absence of representative bodies. And, of course, under such a regime, all power is vested in only one person - the autocrat. This form of government was characteristic of Russia during the period from the end of the 18th century to 1917.
Synonyms of the concept of "absolute monarchy" in Russia were such terms as "autocratic monarchy", "autocracy". The main signs of Russian absolutism were formed over three centuries. Laws were issued by the autocrat himself or on his instructions, in accordance with his order, the state treasury was spent or replenished, a court was adjudicated. A unified tax system has been established in the country. The monarch relied on the administrative apparatus, consisting of close people. The integral signs of Russian absolutism should also include the complete enslavement of the peasants, regulation, interference of the authorities in all spheres of public life, the presence of a permanent police and army.
Absolutism assumes that the autocrat is above all law and law. The monarch is allowed everything. It is considered part of the system, its powers are established by law. The ruler of the country is responsible for his actions before God, his conscience and law.
However, the monarchy may be limited. There are several varieties of this form of government. One of these forms is the dualistic monarchy. Within the framework of this system, there is a certain distance between the ruler and the legislative branch. At the same time, the dualistic monarchy retains the fullness of executive power over the head of state.
The state system under this form of government presupposes a parliament and a constitution. The dualistic monarchy gives legislative power to an elected parliament. However, at the same time, the head of the country still has the right to impose an absolute veto, which cannot be challenged by parliament. In addition, the ruler retains the right to issue extraordinary normative acts with legal force.
As a rule, the dualistic monarchy assumes that the head of the country has an unlimited opportunity to dissolve the parliament, which turns the existing form of government into absolutism. In such state systems, the government reports only to the head of the country and is not accountable to parliament. The latter, in turn, can affect government activity only through the application of its right to approve the state budget. In general, dualistic monarchies are characterized by the predominance of the power of the ruler over representative power.
Certain features of this form of government are preserved today in some states. In its pure form, of course, there is no dualistic monarchy today. But, for example, in Nepal, Jordan, Morocco, some signs of this form of government are present. So, in Jordan there is a parliament and a government formally responsible to it. However, parliamentary power has significant limitations. They are expressed mainly in the fact that acts issued by this body, including votes of no confidence in the government, are approved by the king. In addition, it is the king who exercises public administration in the country.