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A form of government is a
system
by which a
state or country
is
governed.
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The
constitution
forms the basis on which a country or state will be governed.
- Government can be Classified on the basis of the objectives, policies, the way power is exercised and the nature of the constitution.
Democratic Government Vs Dictatorship
- On the basis of answerability to people Government can be classified into Democratic Goverment and Dictatorship
Here is the difference between Democratic and Dictatorship form of Government.
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Democracy |
Dictatorship |
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Term is derived from two Greek words that mean “ rule by the people ” |
Term comes from the Latin title dictator, which in the Roman Republic designated a temporary magistrate who was granted extraordinary powers |
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Power is derived from the people |
Power is seized by one person or a small group |
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Rulers are elected and accountable |
Rulers are not elected and not accountable |
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Based on principles of equality, freedom and participation |
Based on principles of coercion, fear and suppression |
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People can express their opinions, form associations, vote in elections, contest in elections, criticize the government , etc. |
People have no say in the affairs of the government, no freedom to dissent or protest, no right to information or justice, etc. |
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Examples : India, USA and France |
Examples : North Korea, China and Myanmar |
Parliamentary Vs Presidential
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Parliamentary |
Presidential |
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The executive and the legislature are dependent on each other |
The executive and the legislature are separated from each other |
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There is a fusion of powers |
There is a separation of powers |
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The head of the state is separate from the head of the government |
The head of the state is also the head of the government |
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The executive is based on the support of the party or coalition in the legislature |
The executive is elected by the people independently of the legislature |
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The executive can be removed by a vote of no confidence in the legislature |
The executive has a fixed term and cannot be removed by the legislature |
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Examples : Great Britain, India and Canada |
Examples: USA, Brazil and Mexico |
Unitary Vs Federal
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Unitary |
Federal |
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There is only one government for the whole country |
There is a distribution of power between the central and the state governments |
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The central government makes and executes the laws |
The c entral government makes laws that apply all over the country, while the state governments make laws that apply only in the state |
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The central government can change or abolish the powers of the lower levels of government |
The central and state governments have their own areas of jurisdiction and cannot interfere with each other’s powers |
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Examples : Great Britain, China and Chile |
Examples: I ndia, USA, Switzerland, Nigeria, Brazil |
