List of countries by system of government

2008/9 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Politics and government

This is a list of countries categorized by system of government.

Alphabetical list of countries

Name	Constitutional basis	Head of state	Basis of executive legitimacy
Afghanistan	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Albania	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Algeria	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Andorra	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Angola	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Antigua and Barbuda	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Argentina	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Armenia	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Australia	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Austria	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Azerbaijan	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Bahamas	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Bahrain	Constitutional monarchy	Executive	Monarch personally exercises power in concert with other institutions
Bangladesh	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Barbados	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Belarus	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Belgium	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Belize	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Benin	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Bhutan	Absolute monarchy	Executive	All authority vested in absolute monarch
Bolivia	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Botswana	Republic	Executive	Presidency and ministry are subject to parliamentary confidence
Brazil	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Brunei	Absolute monarchy	Executive	All authority vested in absolute monarch
Bulgaria	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Burkina Faso	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Burundi	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Cambodia	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Cameroon	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Canada	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Cape Verde	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Central African Republic	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Chad	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Chile	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
China, People's Republic of	Republic	Executive	Power constitutionally linked to a single political movement
China, Republic of	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Colombia	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Comoros	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Congo, Democratic Republic of the	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Congo, Republic of the	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Costa Rica	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Côte d'Ivoire	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Croatia	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Cuba	Republic	Executive	Power constitutionally linked to a single political movement
Cyprus	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Czech Republic	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Denmark	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Djibouti	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Dominica	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Dominican Republic	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
East Timor	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Ecuador	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Egypt	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
El Salvador	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Equatorial Guinea	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Eritrea	Republic	Executive	Power constitutionally linked to a single political movement
Estonia	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Ethiopia	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Fiji	n/a	n/a	n/a    No constitutionally-defined basis to current regime
Finland	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
France	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Gabon	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Gambia	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Georgia	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Germany	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Ghana	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Greece	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Grenada	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Guatemala	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Guinea	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Guinea-Bissau	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Guyana	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Haiti	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Honduras	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Hungary	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Iceland	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
India	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Indonesia	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Iran	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Iraq	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Ireland	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Israel	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Italy	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Jamaica	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Japan	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Jordan	Constitutional monarchy	Executive	Monarch personally exercises power in concert with other institutions
Kazakhstan	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Kenya	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Kiribati	Republic	Executive	Presidency and ministry are subject to parliamentary confidence
Korea, North	Republic	Executive	Power constitutionally linked to a single political movement
Korea, South	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Kuwait	Constitutional monarchy	Executive	Monarch personally exercises power in concert with other institutions
Kyrgyzstan	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Laos	Republic	Executive	Power constitutionally linked to a single political movement
Latvia	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Lebanon	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Lesotho	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Liberia	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Libya	Republic	Executive	Power constitutionally linked to a single political movement
Liechtenstein	Constitutional monarchy	Executive	Monarch personally exercises power in concert with other institutions
Lithuania	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Luxembourg	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Macedonia	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Madagascar	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Malawi	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Malaysia	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Maldives	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Mali	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Malta	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Marshall Islands	Republic	Executive	Presidency and ministry are subject to parliamentary confidence
Mauritania	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Mauritius	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Mexico	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Micronesia	Republic	Executive	Presidency and ministry are subject to parliamentary confidence
Moldova	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Monaco	Constitutional monarchy	Executive	Monarch personally exercises power in concert with other institutions
Mongolia	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Montenegro	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Morocco	Constitutional monarchy	Executive	Monarch personally exercises power in concert with other institutions
Mozambique	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Myanmar	n/a	n/a	n/a    No constitutionally-defined basis to current regime
Namibia	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Nauru	Republic	Executive	Presidency and ministry are subject to parliamentary confidence
Nepal	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Netherlands	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
New Zealand	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Nicaragua	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Niger	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Nigeria	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Norway	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Oman	Absolute monarchy	Executive	All authority vested in absolute monarch
Pakistan	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Palau	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Panama	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Papua New Guinea	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Paraguay	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Peru	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Philippines	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Poland	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Portugal	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Qatar	Absolute monarchy	Executive	All authority vested in absolute monarch
Romania	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Russia	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Rwanda	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Saint Kitts and Nevis	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Saint Lucia	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Samoa	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
San Marino	Republic	Executive	Presidency and ministry are subject to parliamentary confidence
São Tomé and Príncipe	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Saudi Arabia	Absolute monarchy	Executive	All authority vested in absolute monarch
Senegal	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Serbia	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Seychelles	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Sierra Leone	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Singapore	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Slovakia	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Slovenia	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Solomon Islands	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Somalia	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
South Africa	Republic	Executive	Presidency and ministry are subject to parliamentary confidence
Spain	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Sri Lanka	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Sudan	Republic	Executive	Power constitutionally linked to a single political movement
Suriname	Republic	Executive	Presidency and ministry are subject to parliamentary confidence
Swaziland	Absolute monarchy	Executive	All authority vested in absolute monarch
Sweden	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Switzerland	Republic	Executive	Presidency and ministry are subject to parliamentary confidence
Syria	Republic	Executive	Power constitutionally linked to a single political movement
Tajikistan	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Tanzania	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Thailand	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Togo	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Tonga	Constitutional monarchy	Executive	Monarch personally exercises power in concert with other institutions
Trinidad and Tobago	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Tunisia	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Turkey	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Turkmenistan	Republic	Executive	Power constitutionally linked to a single political movement
Tuvalu	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Uganda	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Ukraine	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
United Arab Emirates	Constitutional monarchy	Executive	Monarch personally exercises power in concert with other institutions
United Kingdom	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
United States	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Uruguay	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Uzbekistan	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Vanuatu	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Vatican City	Absolute monarchy	Executive	All authority vested in absolute monarch
Venezuela	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Vietnam	Republic	Executive	Power constitutionally linked to a single political movement
Yemen	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Zambia	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Zimbabwe	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature

Notes on colour-code

• orange - parliamentary republics
• green - presidential republics, executive presidency linked to a parliament
• yellow - presidential republics, semi-presidential system
• blue - presidential republics, full presidential system
• red - parliamentary constitutional monarchies in which the monarch does not personally exercise power
• magenta - constitutional monarchies in which the monarch personally exercises power, often (but not always) alongside a weak parliament
• purple - absolute monarchies
• brown - republics where the dominant role of a single party is codified in the constitution
• beige - states where constitutional provisions for government have been suspended
• grey - countries which do not fit any of the above systems

Note that several states constitutionally deemed to be multiparty republics are broadly described by outsiders as authoritarian states. This chart aims to represent de jure form of government, not de facto degree of democracy. Those more interested in a version reflecting such judgements may be interested in seeing this map from Freedom House. .

Systems of Governance

Presidential / Separated republics

These are systems in which a president is the active head of the executive branch of government and is elected and remains in office independently of the legislature. The following list includes democratic and non-democratic states:

Full presidential systems

In full presidential systems, the president is both head of state and head of government. There is generally no prime minister, although if one exists he or she serves purely at the pleasure of the president.

Afghanistan Argentina Benin Bolivia Brazil Burundi Cameroon Central African Republic Chad Chile Colombia Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Costa Rica Côte d'Ivoire

Cyprus Djibouti Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Honduras Indonesia Iran (to some degree) Kenya

Kiribati Liberia Madagascar Malawi Maldives Marshall Islands Mexico Federated States of Micronesia Nauru Nicaragua Nigeria Palau Panama Paraguay Philippines Rwanda

Seychelles Sierra Leone Sudan Suriname Tanzania Togo Tunisia Turkmenistan Uganda United States of America Uruguay Venezuela Zambia Zimbabwe

Semi-presidential systems

In semi-presidential systems, there is usually both a president and a prime minister. In such systems, the President has genuine executive authority, unlike in a parliamentary republic, but some of the role of a head of government is exercised by the prime minister, who is also leader of the legislature.

Algeria Angola Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Bosnia and Herzegovina Burkina Faso Cape Verde Egypt Finland France Georgia Guyana

Haiti Kazakhstan Republic of Korea Kyrgyzstan Lebanon Mali Moldova Mongolia Mozambique Namibia Niger Pakistan Peru

Romania Russia São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Serbia Sri Lanka Republic of China (Taiwan) Tajikistan Ukraine Uzbekistan Western Sahara Yemen

Parliamentary republics

A parliamentary republic is a system in which a prime minister is the active head of the executive branch of government and also leader of the legislature. The president's degree of executive power may range from being reasonably significant (eg. Poland) to little or none at all (eg. Ireland). Where the president holds little executive power, their function is primarily that of a symbolic figurehead.

Albania Austria Bangladesh Bulgaria Croatia Czech Republic Dominica East Timor Estonia

Ethiopia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland India Ireland Iraq Israel

Italy Latvia Lithuania Macedonia Malta Mauritius Mauritania Montenegro Poland

Portugal Samoa Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Trinidad and Tobago Turkey Vanuatu

Mixed republican systems

Prime minister is also head of state and given title of president

• Botswana
• South Africa
• Switzerland
• San Marino

Constitutional monarchies

Systems in which a prime minister is the active head of the executive branch of government and also leader of the legislature. The head of state is a constitutional monarch who only exercises his or her powers with the consent of the government, the people or their representatives.

Andorra Belgium Cambodia Denmark Japan Lesotho Luxembourg

Malaysia Netherlands Norway Spain Sweden United Kingdom (see also under Commonwealth realms)

Commonwealth realms

Constitutional monarchies, in which Queen Elizabeth II serves as head of state over an independent government. In each Realm, she acts as the monarch of that state, and is usually titled accordingly - for example, Queen of Australia. The Queen appoints a Governor-General to each country other than the United Kingdom to act as her representative. The prime minister is the active head of the executive branch of government and also leader of the legislature.

Antigua and Barbuda Australia The Bahamas Barbados Belize Canada Grenada Jamaica

New Zealand Papua New Guinea Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Solomon Islands Tuvalu United Kingdom

Semi-constitutional monarchies

The prime minister (or equivalent) is the nation's active executive, but the monarch still has considerable political powers that can be used at his/her own independent discretion.

Bahrain Jordan Kuwait Liechtenstein

Monaco Morocco Tonga

Absolute monarchies

Monarchies in which the monarch is the active head of the executive branch and exercises all powers.

Bhutan Brunei Oman Qatar

Saudi Arabia Swaziland United Arab Emirates Vatican City State

Theocracies

States based on a state religion where the head of state is selected by some form of religious hierarchy.

• Iran (to some degree)
• the Holy See (Vatican City)

One-party states

States in which political power is concentrated within a single political party whose operations are largely fused with the government hierarchy. However, some do have elected governments.

People's Republic of China ( Communist Party) ( list) Cuba ( Communist Party) ( list) Democratic People's Republic of Korea ( Workers' Party) ( list) Laos ( Revolutionary Party) ( list) Syria ( Arab Socialist Ba'th Party) ( list) Turkmenistan ( Democratic Party) ( list) Vietnam ( Communist Party) ( list)

Military junta states

The nation's military control the organs of government and all high-ranking political executives are also members of the military hierarchy.

• Fiji (until 2010)
• Libya
• Myanmar

Transitional

States which have a system of government which is in transition or turmoil and cannot be accurately classified. (with current direction of change)

• Eritrea (presidential republic)
• Iraq (parliamentary republic)
• Nepal (constitutional monarchy or parliamentary republic)
• Somalia (semi-presidential republic)
• Sudan (bipartisan Government of National Unity)
• Thailand (constitutional monarchy)

Systems of Internal Governance

Federal

States in which the federal government shares power with semi-independent regional governments. In many cases, the central government is (in theory) a creation of the regional governments; a prime example is the United States.

Argentina ( 23 provinces and 1 autonomous city) Australia ( 6 states and 2 territories) Austria ( 9 states) Belgium ( Flemish Region, Walloon Region and Brussels Capital Region) Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska) Brazil ( 26 states and 1 federal district) Canada ( 10 provinces and 3 territories) Comoros ( Anjouan, Grande Comore, Mohéli) Ethiopia ( 9 regions and 2 chartered cities) Federated States of Micronesia ( Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Yap) Germany ( 16 states) India ( 28 states and 7 union territories) Iraq ( Currently 1 Region)

Malaysia ( 13 states and 3 federal territories) Mexico ( 31 states and 1 federal district) Nigeria ( 36 states and 1 federal capital territory) Pakistan ( 4 provinces and 2 territories) Palau ( 16 states) Papua New Guinea ( 18 provinces, 1 autonomous province and 1 capital district) Russia ( 47 oblasts, 21 republics, 8 krais, 6 autonomous okrugs, 2 federal cities, 1 autonomous oblast) Saint Kitts and Nevis ( Saint Kitts and Nevis) South Africa ( 9 provinces) Switzerland ( 26 cantons) United Arab Emirates ( 7 emirates) United States ( 50 states, 2 Commonwealths, 1 District (of Columbia), and 12 Territories) Venezuela ( 23 states and 1 capital district)

Devolved

States in which the central government has delegated some of its powers to self-governing subsidiary governments, creating a de facto federation.

• Spain ( 17 autonomous communities and the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla)
• United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)

Regionalized unitary

States in which the central government has delegated some of its powers to regional governments.

• Italy ( 20 regions, five granted 'autonomous' status)
• New Zealand ( 12 regions)
• People's Republic of China ( 22 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4 municipalities, and 2 Special Administrative Regions)
• Philippines ( 17 regions, 1 granted 'autonomous' status)

Federacy

A federacy is a country in which some substates function like states in a federation and others like states in a unitary state.

• Denmark with 2 autonomous regions and 5 regions;
• Finland with 1 autonomous province and 19 regions;
• France with 1 sui generis collectivity and 26 régions, 4 collectivités d'outre-mer, 1 territoire d'outre-mer;
• Kingdom of the Netherlands with 2 states and 12 provinces;
• Portugal with 2 autonomous regions ( Azores and Madeira) and 18 districts;
• Serbia, significant autonomy granted to Vojvodina; Kosovo-Metohija under UN protectorate, future status being negotiated;
• Tanzania, 21 mainland regions, 5 regions under autonomous government of Zanzibar
• Ukraine, 24 oblasts, 2 special-status cities, and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea;

Unitary

see Unitary state