List of countries by system of government

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

1 Presidential republics
2 Parliamentary republics
3 Constitutional monarchies
- 3.1 Semi-constitutional monarchies
- 3.2 Commonwealth realms
4 Absolute monarchies
5 Theocracies
6 One-party and no-party states
7 Military Junta states
8 Transitional
- 8.1 Systems of Internal Governance
9 Federal states
10 Unitary states
11 Semi-federal states
12 See also
- 12.1 External link

Presidential republics

Where a president is the active head of the executive branch of government and is independent from the legislature. The following list includes democratic and non-democratic states:

Parliamentary republics

Where a prime minister is the active head of the executive branch of government and also leader of the legislature. However, there is also a president who serves as a symbolic head of state in some figurehead capacity. The following list includes democratic and non-democratic states:

Constitutional monarchies

Where 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 and is largely a figurehead.

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.

Commonwealth realms

Constitutional monarchies, in which the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II serves as head of state over an independent government. The Queen appoints a Governor General to each country to act as her representative. The prime minister is the active head of the executive branch of government and also leader of the legislature.

Absolute monarchies

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

Theocracies

Non-democratic states based on a state religion where the head of state is selected by some form of religious hierarchy.

One-party and no-party states

Non-democratic states in which political power is concentrated within a single political party whose operations are largely fused with the government hiearchy.

Military Junta states

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

Myanmar (Burma)

Transitional

States which have a system of government which is in transition or turmoil and cannot be accurately classified.

Systems of Internal Governance

Federal states

States in which the federal government shares power with semi-independent regional governments.

Argentina (23 provinces and 1 autonomous city)
Australia (6 states and 2 territories)
Austria (9 states)
Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska)
Brazil (26 states)
Canada (10 provinces and 3 territories)
Comoros (Anjouan, Grande Comore, Mohéli and Mayotte)
Germany (16 states)
India (28 states and 7 union territories)
Malaysia (13 states)
Mexico (31 states)
Federated States of Micronesia (Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Yap)
Nigeria (36 states)
Pakistan (4 provinces and 1 territory)
Palau (16 states)
Papua New Guinea (20 provinces)
Russia (49 oblasts, 21 republics, 10 autonomous okrugs, 6 krays, 2 cities, 1 autonomous oblast)
Serbia and Montenegro (Serbia and Montenegro)
South Africa (9 provinces)
Switzerland (26 cantons)
United Arab Emirates (7 emirates)
United States (50 states)

Unitary states

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

Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia)
Italy (20 regions, five granted 'autonomous' status)
Spain (17 autonomous communities)
United Kingdom (Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales, plus the remainder, England)