Wednesday, March 18, 2020
15 Terms for Forms and Types of Governance
15 Terms for Forms and Types of Governance 15 Terms for Forms and Types of Governance 15 Terms for Forms and Types of Governance By Mark Nichol Is the United States a democracy, or a republic? (Both.) Whatââ¬â¢s the difference between an autocracy and a dictatorship? (There is none.) These and other questions of usage are answered with definitions and connotations of terms referring to forms and philosophies of government listed below: 1. Anarchy: Anarchy is from the Greek word meaning ââ¬Å"no ruleâ⬠and refers to a society without government. Because this is an impractical if not impossible condition, it is generally used in a looser sense of chaos. 2. Authoritarian: Less a form of government than a description, this term connotes an oppressive form of rule in which citizensââ¬â¢ rights are restricted, putatively for the societyââ¬â¢s security and stability. A single head of state often dominates a country with authoritarian rule, but itââ¬â¢s likely that more than one person has significant power. 3. Autocracy: An autocracy (from the Greek words for ââ¬Å"selfâ⬠and ââ¬Å"ruleâ⬠but referring not to self-determination but to ââ¬Å"one who rules by himselfâ⬠) is a government led by one person with dictatorial power. 4. Cabal: Ultimately derived from the Hebrew word adopted for the name of the mystical Kabbalah philosophy of Judaism, cabal refers not to a form of government but to the machinations of an insurrectionary group, or to the group itself. (By extension, it can refer to any group outside of the political realm.) The term, thanks to its frequent use by conspiracy theorists, has an unfortunate association with paranoid delusions about secret societies and behind-the-scenes manipulation of government affairs. 5. Dictatorship: This term, stemming from the Latin word meaning ââ¬Å"to declareâ⬠and originally a reference to a temporary emergency government established by the Roman Senate, now refers to an autocratic rule by one or more people. The word has a negative connotation and is rarely or ever used by such a government. 6. Federation: A federation (the word is from the Latin term for ââ¬Å"compactâ⬠or ââ¬Å"leagueâ⬠and ultimately derived from the word for ââ¬Å"trustâ⬠) is a form of government in which subordinate jurisdictions such as states or provinces reserve some sovereignty and/or rights under a national government. (A related term, confederation, implies a more loosely allied group of sovereign states.) 7. Junta: This term also spelled junto and derived from the Spanish word for ââ¬Å"joined,â⬠refers to a postrevolutionary government and carries a sense of a tightly controlled government. 8. Democracy: In its literal sense, a democracy is, as its Greek etymology specifies, a rule of the people. In practice, however, the term is interchangeable with republic, in that it refers to a system of government in which the will of the people is carried out by elected representatives. 9. Monarchy: A monarchy (from the Greek term meaning ââ¬Å"rule by oneâ⬠) is a government led by a person usually selected by hereditary succession. However, the rulerââ¬â¢s authority may vary from nominal (a figurehead) to absolute (a despot). Most current monarchies are technically constitutional, or limited, monarchies, meaning that the ruler is subject to laws that protects citizensââ¬â¢ rights. 10. Oligarchy: No government is literally an oligarchy (the word is from the Greek term for ââ¬Å"rule of the fewâ⬠), but that description is used often to refer to the fact that a nationââ¬â¢s wealthiest people generally have an inordinate influence on governance because of their ties to elected officials. The implication is that a government so influenced is corrupt and predicated on the oligarchyââ¬â¢s self-interest. 11. Regime: The Merriam-Websterââ¬â¢s Collegiate Dictionary definition of this term ââ¬Å"lawful control over the affairs of a political unitâ⬠is oddly neutral, considering that the connotation is invariably of a repressive dictatorship. 12. Republic: A republic (the word is Latin for ââ¬Å"public thingâ⬠) is a government whose authority is based on citizen voters represented by elected officials chosen in free elections, as opposed to a monarchy or a dictatorship. 13. Theocracy: A theocracy, from the Greek word meaning ââ¬Å"rule of God,â⬠refers to a government controlled by religious authorities. The connotation is that the government is repressive and intolerant of values that conflict with the dominant theology. 14. Totalitarian: Derived from the Italian word for ââ¬Å"totality,â⬠this word describes a dictatorial government. 15. Tyranny: Tyranny is a condition in which a nation is under the rule of a tyrant, who seized power illegally and governs with few or no checks and balances. The term was originally a neutral word meaning ââ¬Å"monarchy,â⬠but it acquired the connotation of ââ¬Å"despotâ⬠and is by extension often employed to an overbearing authority figure such as a parent or a boss. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Beautiful and Ugly Words"Certified" and "Certificated"20 Names of Body Parts and Elements and Their Figurative Meanings
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