In which state has the monarchy been preserved? Modern monarchy: features, types, examples. Saudi Arabia: King Salman

Modern political science can give a complete description of any form of state (the structure of the political organization of society) based on the form of government, the form of state-territorial structure and the type of political regime.

Forms of government

A form of government is a way of organizing the supreme state power. There are two forms of government - monarchy and republic. Monarchy, in turn, can be of the following types:

• absolute (all executive, legislative and judicial powers are concentrated in the hands of the monarch);
• constitutional or parliamentary (the power of the monarch is limited by the constitution, the real executive and legislative power is in the hands of a parliament elected or formed by the people);
• dualistic (power is divided equally between the monarch and parliament);
• theocratic (power is in the hands of the spiritual leader who heads a particular denomination).

The republican form of government exists in such forms as

• presidential (power is concentrated in the hands of the elected president);
• parliamentary (the country is led by parliament or the prime minister; the president performs only representative functions);
• mixed (power is divided between parliament and the president).

Form of state-territorial structure

Forms of state-territorial structure are a way of interconnection and interaction of individual parts of the state, enshrined in the constitution. There are forms such as

• federation (a union of relatively independent entities subordinate to the political center in all important matters);
• unitary state (a single and indivisible state, consisting only of administrative units);
• confederation (a temporary union of states completely independent from each other).

Political regimes

A political regime is a set of methods and means of exercising state power. There are such types of political regimes as

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• democratic (power is in the hands of the people, civil rights and freedoms are both declared and actually work);
• undemocratic (power is in the hands of the ruling elite, a political minority, civil rights and freedoms are only declared, but do not work in practice).

A non-democratic political regime also has certain subtypes: authoritarian and totalitarian (the difference lies in the level of government control over society).

Most countries of Foreign Europe are republics of various types with democratic political regimes. The Republics of Foreign Europe are France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria.

But, despite this, there are a large number of countries in Foreign Europe with a monarchical form of government. How many are there?

Monarchies of Foreign Europe

Which states can be included in the list of “Monarchical countries of Foreign Europe”?

It can be represented as follows.

Fig.1 The ruling royal house of Windsor

The Vatican is not the only state with an elective theocratic absolute monarchy. The second state is Iran, where power was held for a long time by its spiritual leader, Ayatollah Khomeini.

Thus, quite a large number of large European countries are monarchies. Their share is especially large in Northern Foreign Europe (if you look at their location on the map).

Rice. 2 Political map of Overseas Europe

Almost all modern dynasties are connected by blood ties. The royal house of Great Britain, the Windsors, are representatives of both the Saxon-Coburg - Gothic dynasty and the Glucksburg dynasty. The oldest uninterrupted dynasty is the princely house of Grimaldi. The throne has been passed down in a direct line from father to son for 700 years.

Fig.3 Head of the ruling house of Monaco - Prince Albert II Grimaldi

What have we learned?

Most of the monarchical countries of Foreign Europe are constitutional monarchies. This means that all legislative, executive and judicial powers are in the hands of parliament and the elected prime minister or chancellor. The monarch plays a representative role, although he can speak out on key issues of foreign and domestic policy. In some countries, such as Great Britain, the monarch is a significant figure in the political arena. Elizabeth II, the reigning queen, actively intervened in the activities of many prime ministers: Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair and others.

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Absolute monarchy is a form of government in which all executive, legislative, judicial and military power is concentrated in the hands of the monarch. In this case, the presence of parliament is possible, as well as holding elections to parliament by the residents of the country, but it is only an advisory body to the monarch and cannot go against him in any way.

In the world, in the strict sense, there are only six countries with an absolute monarchy. If we consider it more openly, then a dualistic monarchy can also be equated to an absolute one, and these are six more countries. Thus, there are twelve countries in the world in which power is somehow concentrated in one hand.

Surprisingly, in Europe (so loving to protect human rights and irritated by any dictators) there are already two such countries! But at the same time, it is necessary to distinguish between an absolute and a constitutional monarchy, since there are a lot of kingdoms and principalities in Europe, but most of them are a constitutional monarchy, in which the head of state is the chairman of parliament.

And so, here are these twelve countries with an absolute monarchy:

1. . A small state in the Middle East on the shores of the Persian Gulf. Dualistic monarchy, King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa since 2002.

2. (or Brunei for short). State in Southeast Asia on the island of Kalimantan. Absolute monarchy, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah since 1967.

3. . The city-state is located entirely in Rome. A theocratic monarchy, the country has been ruled by Pope Francis since 2013.

4. (full name: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan). Located in the Middle East. A dualist monarchy, the country has been ruled by King Abdullah II bin Hussein al-Hashimi since 1999.

5., a state in the Middle East, an absolute monarchy, the country has been ruled by Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani since 2013.

6. . State in the Middle East. A dualist monarchy, the country has been ruled by Emir Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah since 2006.

7. (full name: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg). The state is located in the center of Europe. Luxembourg is a dual monarchy and has been ruled by Grand Duke HRH Henri (Henry) since 2000.

8. (full name: Kingdom of Morocco) is a state located in the northwestern part of Africa. A dualist monarchy, the country has been ruled by King Mohammed VI bin al Hassan since 1999.

9. . A state in the Middle East, on the shores of the Persian Gulf. An absolute monarchy, the country has been ruled by President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan since 2004.

10. (full name: Sultanate of Oman). State on the Arabian Peninsula. An absolute monarchy, the country has been ruled by Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said since 1970.

eleven. . State in the Middle East. An absolute theocratic monarchy, the country has been ruled by King Salman bin Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman al Saud since 2015.

12. . The state is located in southern Africa. A dual monarchy, the country has been ruled by King Mswati III since 1986.

- (Greek, from monos one, and archo I control). A sole-power state, i.e., where the state is ruled by one person, the monarch. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. MONARCHY Greek. monarchia, from monos, one, and... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

MONARCHY (from the Greek μον κρχία autocracy) is one of the forms of monocracy and the name of the state system headed by the monarch. From other forms of monocracy (dictatorship, presidential rule, party leadership) ... ... Philosophical Encyclopedia

Monarchy- (from the gr. monarchia autocracy; English monarchy) a form of government in which, unlike oligarchy and democracy, the supreme state power is concentrated in the hands of the individual head of state ... Encyclopedia of Law

- (gr. monarchia autocracy) a form of government in which the head of state is the monarch. In the modern world, two historical types of monarchy remain: absolute monarchy and constitutional monarchy. The latter exists in two forms, differing... Legal Dictionary

A form of government in which supreme state power belongs to the monarch (king, prince, sultan, shah, emir) and is inherited. A monarchy can be absolute when the power of the monarch is almost unlimited (Brunei, Bahrain, Qatar, ... ... Geographical encyclopedia

MONARCHY, monarchies, women. (Greek monarchia autocracy) (book, political). The most despotic form of government, dominant in the era of feudalism, in which supreme power belongs to one person, the monarch; autocracy... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

- (Greek monarchia - autocracy) - one of the forms of government. The essential characteristic of a monarchy is concentration, the concentration in the hands of one person - the monarch - of supreme power, which is inherited. Distinguish... ... Political science. Dictionary.

Monarchy- Monarchy ♦ Monarchie The power of one person, but subject to laws (as opposed to despotism, which does not recognize any norms and rules). When these laws themselves depend on the will of the monarch (called an autocrat), we speak of absolute... ... Sponville's Philosophical Dictionary

Women rule, where supreme power is in the hands of one person, monarchical truth, one or the power itself. | The state is monarchical. Russian monarchy. Monarch husband sole sovereign or autocrat. Monarch female autocrat; spouse... ... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary

Absolutism, despotism, autocracy, kingdom, monocracy Dictionary of Russian synonyms. monarchy noun, number of synonyms: 5 absolutism (7) ... Synonym dictionary

MONARCHY, a state whose head is a monarch (for example, king, king, shah, emir, kaiser), who receives power, usually by inheritance. There are unlimited (absolute) monarchies and limited (so-called... ... Modern encyclopedia

Books

• Monarchy or republic? Imperial letters to neighbors, Smolin Mikhail Borisovich. Mikhail Smolin’s book “Monarchy or Republic?” consists of texts that served as the basis for the “White Word” program, which the author hosted on the Tsargrad TV channel. The book is based on answers to...
• Monarchy or republic Imperial letters to neighbors, Smolin M.. Book “Monarchy or republic? Imperial Letters to Your Neighbors" consists of the texts used as the basis for the program "White Word", which was hosted by Mikhail Smolin on the Tsargrad TV channel. Main topic...

What is a monarchy? Most often, this word evokes in people associations with something magnificent, majestic and absolute. In this article we will consider not only the general concept, but also the types of monarchy, its purpose and goals both in the centuries-old history of mankind and at the present moment. If we briefly outline the topic of the article, it can be formulated as follows: “Monarchy: concept, characteristics, types.”

What type of government is called a monarchy?

Monarchy is one of the types of government that involves the sole leadership of the country. In other words, this is a political system where all power is in the hands of one person. Such a ruler is called a monarch, but in different countries you can hear other titles, namely: emperor, shah, king or queen - they are all monarchs, regardless of what they are called in their homeland. Another important feature of monarchical power is that it is inherited without any votes or elections. Naturally, if there are no direct heirs, then the laws that control succession to the throne in monarchical countries come into force. Thus, power most often passes to the closest relative, but world history knows many other options.

In general, the form of government in a state determines the structure of the highest power in the country, as well as the distribution of functions, responsibilities and duties of the highest legislative bodies. As for the monarchy, as already mentioned, all power belongs to a single ruler. The monarch receives it for life, and, moreover, does not bear any legal responsibility for his decisions, although it is he who determines how the state should act in a given situation.

How to distinguish a monarchical form of government?

Regardless of the fact that different types of monarchy have their differences, there are also basic features that are common to all. Such characteristics help to quickly and accurately determine that we are really dealing with monarchical power. So, the main characteristics include the following:

1. There is a single ruler who is the head of state.
2. The monarch exercises his power from the moment he takes office until his death.
3. The transfer of power occurs through kinship, which is called inheritance.
4. The monarch has every right to govern the state at his own discretion; his decisions are not discussed or questioned.
5. The monarch is not subject to legal liability for his actions or decisions.

About the types of monarchy

Like other types of government, monarchy is a fairly broad concept, so its subtypes with individual characteristics are also defined. Almost all types and forms of monarchy can be grouped into the following list:

1. Despotism.
2. Absolute monarchy.
3. Constitutional monarchy (dualistic and parliamentary).
4. Estate-representative monarchy.

For all of these forms of government, the basic features of a monarchy remain, but they have their own unique nuances that create differences between them. Next, it is worth discussing in more detail what types of monarchy there are and their characteristics.

About despotism

Despotism is a variant of monarchy, where the power of the ruler is not limited by anything at all. In this case, the monarch is called a despot. As a rule, his power comes from the military-bureaucratic apparatus. In other words, he controls his subordinates through force, which is mainly expressed in the support of troops or other security forces.

Since absolutely all power is in the hands of the despot, the law that he establishes does not limit his rights or opportunities in any way. Thus, the monarch and his entourage can do whatever they want with impunity, and this will not have any negative consequences for them in a legal context.

Interesting fact: the great ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle mentioned despotism in one of his works. He noted that this form of government is very similar to the situation with the master and his power over the slaves, where the master is an analogue of a despot monarch, and slaves are the ruler’s subjects.

About absolute monarchy

Types of monarchy include the concept of absolutism. The main feature here is that all power belongs exclusively to one person. Such a structure of power in the case of an absolute monarchy is dictated by law. It is also worth noting that absolutism and dictatorship are very similar types of power.

An absolute monarchy indicates that in a state all spheres of life are individually controlled by the ruler. That is, he controls the legislative, executive, judicial and military industries. Often even religious or spiritual power is entirely in his hands.

Looking at this issue in more detail, we can say that there is a rather ambiguous opinion about this type of government as an absolute monarchy. The concept and types of state leadership are quite broad, but with regards to despotism and absolutism, it is worth noting that the best option is still the second. If in a totalitarian country under the leadership of a despot literally everything is controlled, freedom of thought is destroyed and many civil rights are abolished, then an absolute monarchy can be very favorable for the people. An example can be provided by prosperous Luxembourg, where the standard of living of the people is the highest in Europe. In addition, at the moment we can see types of absolute monarchy in countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar.

About the constitutional monarchy

The difference between this type of government is the limited power of the monarch, established by the constitution, traditions, or sometimes even unwritten law. Here the monarch does not have priority in the sphere of state power. It is also important that the restrictions are not just written into the law, but are actually enforced.

Types of constitutional monarchies:

1. Dualistic monarchy. Here the power of the monarch is limited as follows: all decisions made by the monarch must be confirmed by a specially appointed minister. Without his resolution, not a single decision of the ruler will come into effect. Another difference between a dualistic monarchy is that all executive power remains with the monarch.
2. Parliamentary monarchy. It also limits the power of the monarch, to such an extent that, in fact, he performs only a ceremonial or representative role. The ruler in a parliamentary monarchy has virtually no real power. Here, all executive power belongs to the government, which, in turn, is responsible to parliament.

About the estate-representative monarchy

This form of monarchy involves class representatives who are directly involved in drawing up laws and governing the state in general. Here the power of the monarch is also limited, and this happens mainly due to the development of monetary and commodity relations. This put an end to the stability of the subsistence economy, which was then closed. Thus, the concept of centralization of power in a political context arose.

This type of monarchy was typical for European countries in the period from the 12th to the 14th centuries. Examples include the Parliament in England, the Cortes and Spain, and the Estates General in France. In Russia, these were Zemsky Sobors in the period from the 16th to the 17th centuries.

Examples of monarchical rule in the modern world

In addition to these countries, absolute monarchy is established in Brunei and the Vatican. It is worth noting that the United Arab Emirates is essentially a federal state, but each of the seven emirates in this association is part of an absolute monarchy.

The most striking example of a parliamentary monarchy is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Holland is also sometimes included here.

Many countries belong to the constitutional monarchy, among which we highlight the following: Spain, Belgium, Monaco, Japan, Andorra, Cambodia, Thailand, Morocco and many others.

Regarding dual monarchy, there are three main examples worth mentioning: Jordan, Morocco and Kuwait. It is worth noting that the latter is sometimes referred to as an absolute monarchy.

Weaknesses of the monarchy

Monarchy, the concept and types of which were discussed above, is a political structure that, naturally, has certain disadvantages.

The main problem is that the ruler and the people are too far from each other due to a peculiar layer; this is where the monarchy as a form of government has a weak point. All types of monarchies, without exception, are distinguished by this disadvantage. The ruler is almost completely isolated from his people, which negatively affects both relationships and the monarch’s understanding of the real situation, and, accordingly, the making of important decisions. This is a small fraction of the unpleasant moments that are provoked by this state of affairs.

It is also obvious that when a country is governed in accordance with the preferences and moral principles of only one person, this introduces a certain subjectivity. The monarch is only a man and, like ordinary citizens, is subject to attacks of pride and self-confidence that stem from the intoxication of unlimited power. If we add to this the impunity of the ruler, then a rather characteristic picture is observed.

Another not entirely successful aspect of the monarchical system is the transfer of title by inheritance. Even if we consider the types of limited monarchy, this aspect is still present. The trouble is that the next heirs according to the law do not always turn out to be worthy people. This concerns both the general and organizational characteristics of the future monarch (for example, not everyone is decisive or wise enough to rule the country) and his health (most often mental). Thus, power can pass into the hands of a mentally unbalanced and stupid older brother, although the reigning family has a wiser and fully adequate younger heir.

Types of monarchy: pros and cons

History shows that most often in a monarchical form of government the people did not like the aristocracy. The problem was that people belonging to the upper strata of society were financially and intellectually different from the majority, accordingly, this sowed natural enmity and gave rise to mutual hostility. But it is worth noting that if at the court of the monarch a policy was introduced that weakened the position of the aristocracy, then its place was firmly occupied by the bureaucracy. Naturally, this state of affairs was even worse.

As for the lifetime power of the monarch, this is an ambiguous aspect. On the one hand, having the opportunity to make decisions over a long period of time, the monarch could work for the future. That is, counting on the fact that he would rule for several decades, the ruler gradually and consistently implemented his policies. This is not bad for the country, if the vector of development of the state is chosen correctly and for the benefit of the people. On the other hand, holding the post of monarch for more than one decade, bearing the burden of government concerns on one’s shoulders, is quite tiring, which can subsequently affect the efficiency of work.

To summarize, we can say that the monarchy is good for the following:

1. A clearly established succession to the throne helps keep the country in a relatively stable state.
2. A monarch who rules for life is able to do more than a time-limited ruler.
3. All aspects of the country's life are controlled by one person, so he can see the whole picture very clearly.

Among the disadvantages it is worth emphasizing the following:

1. Hereditary power could doom the country to life under the control of a person who is simply not capable of being a ruler for one reason or another.
2. The distance between the common people and the monarchs is incommensurable. The existence of the aristocracy very sharply divides the people into social strata.

Disadvantages for the good

Quite often, the virtues of the monarchy turned out to be a problem in one situation or another. But sometimes everything happened the other way around: the seemingly unacceptable shortcoming of the monarchy unexpectedly helped and acted for the benefit of the people.

In this section we will touch on the topic of injustice of the monarchy. Undoubtedly, many politicians who want to come to power are not satisfied with the fact that the title of the ruler of the country is inherited. The people, in turn, are often dissatisfied with the clear and inexorable stratification of society along class lines. But on the other hand, the hereditary power of the monarch stabilizes many political, social and economic processes in the state. The inevitable inheritance of power prevents unconstructive competition between the huge number of candidates vying for the post of ruler. Competition between contenders for the right to govern the country can lead to instability in the state and even military resolution of conflicts. And since everything is predetermined, peace and prosperity in the region are achieved.

Republic

There is another important point that is worth discussing - these are the types of monarchies and republics. Since a lot has been said about the monarchy, let’s turn to an alternative type of governing the country. A republic is a form of government where all government bodies are formed through elections and exist in this composition for a limited period. It is important to understand this in order to see the fundamental difference between these types of leadership: monarchical power, where the people are not given a choice, and a republic, the leading representatives of which are elected by the people themselves for a certain term. The elected candidates make up the parliament that actually governs the country. In other words, the head of the republican state becomes the candidates elected by the citizens, and not the heirs of the monarchical dynasty.

A republic is the most popular form of government in world practice, which has repeatedly proven its effectiveness. Interesting fact: most states in the modern world are officially republics. If we talk about numbers, then as of 2006 there were 190 states, of which 140 were republics.

Types of republics and their main characteristics

Not only the monarchy, the concepts and types of which we examined, is divided into structural parts. For example, the main classification of such a form of government as a republic consists of four types:

1. Parliamentary republic. Based on the name, you can understand that here most of the power is in the hands of parliament. It is this legislative body that is the government of the country with this form of government.
2. Presidential republic. Here the main levers of power are concentrated in the hands of the president. Its task is also to coordinate actions and relations between all governing branches of government.
3. Mixed republic. It is also called semi-presidential. The main characteristic of this form of government is the dual responsibility of the government, which is subordinate to both parliament and the president.
4. Theocratic republic. In such a formation, power largely or even entirely belongs to the church hierarchy.

Conclusion

Knowledge about what types of monarchy can be found in the modern world helps to more deeply understand the features of government. Studying history, we can observe the triumph or collapse of countries ruled by monarchs. This type of government was one of the steps towards the forms of government that prevail in our time. Therefore, knowing what a monarchy is, the concept and types of which we have discussed in detail, is very important for people interested in the political processes taking place on the world stage.

FORMS OF GOVERNMENT

Table 5. Two main forms of government

Table 6. Countries with a monarchical form of government.

On the modern political map, 30 countries of the world have a monarchical form of government.

Monarchy is a form of government in which power is concentrated in the hands of one person and is inherited.

IN absolute monarchy the power of the monarch is almost limitless (Bhutan, Oman, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, etc.)

Head theocratic monarchy is a religious leader (there are three of them in the world - the Vatican, Saudi Arabia, where the king is simultaneously the head of the religious community of Sunni Muslims, and the Sultan of Bahrain).

IN constitutional monarchies The power of the monarch is limited by the constitution, and in parliamentary- parliament.

Republic- a form of government in which the separation of powers is carried out; all supreme bodies of state power are elected by direct vote of the people or by a representative elected body of power (parliament). In presidential republics, unlike parliamentary ones (Germany, Finland, Italy, Turkey), the powers of the head of state and head of government are concentrated in the hands of the president (for example, the USA, France, Romania, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil).

Great Britain is the world's oldest constitutional monarchy. The King (now Queen Elizabeth II) is considered the head of state, the judiciary, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, the secular head of the state Anglican Church, as well as the British-led Commonwealth, whose members are more than 50 countries that were formerly part of the British Empire (India, Canada, Sri Lanka). Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, etc.); and in 15 of the Commonwealth countries, he is, however, formally considered the head of state (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc.).

Problems and tests on the topic "Forms of Government"

• Countries of the world - Population of the Earth 7th grade

  Lessons: 6 Tasks: 9

• The work of flowing waters, glaciers and wind

  Lessons: 6 Assignments: 8 Tests: 1

• Relief of the Earth - Lithosphere - the rocky shell of the Earth, grade 5

  Lessons: 4 Assignments: 10 Tests: 1

• Relief of the ocean floor - Lithosphere - the rocky shell of the Earth, grade 5

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• Continents, parts of the world and oceans - General characteristics of the nature of the Earth, grade 7

  Lessons: 3 Assignments: 11 Tests: 1

Leading ideas: the level of economic and social development of a country is largely determined by its geographical location and history of development; the diversity of the modern political map of the world - a system that is in constant development and the elements of which are interconnected.

Basic concepts: Territory and border of the state, economic zone, sovereign state, dependent territories, republic (presidential and parliamentary), monarchy (absolute, including theocratic, constitutional), federal and unitary state, confederation, gross domestic product (GDP), human index development (HDI), developed countries, G7 Western countries, developing countries, NIS countries, key countries, oil-exporting countries, least developed countries; political geography, geopolitics, GGP of the country (region), UN, NATO, EU, NAFTA, MERCOSUR, Asia-Pacific, OPEC.

Skills and abilities: Be able to classify countries according to various criteria, give a brief description of groups and subgroups of countries in the modern world, assess the political and geographical position of countries according to plan, identify positive and negative features, note changes in GWP over time, use the most important economic and social indicators for characterization (GDP, GDP per capita, human development index, etc.) of the country. Identify the most important changes on the political map of the world, explain the reasons and predict the consequences of such changes.