QUAID-E-AZAM LAW COLLEGE

Topic: Types of Government

Political Science-I
LLB Part I (5 years)
Instructor:
Dr. Muhammad Farhan Khan Abbasi
(PhD.IR, M.Phil. Political Science, CSS-Qualified 2012)

Lectures Associates :
Minha Naz (M.Phil. Political Science)
Imtiaz Ali Khan (M.A , LLB , Advocate High Court)
 CONTENTS
 Introduction
 What is Regime?
 What is Governance?
 Forms of Government
 According to the number of people who rule 
1. Monarchy
2. oligarchy
3. Democracy
4. Authoritarianism
5. Totalitarianism
 According to the relationship between the national & local level
1. Federal
2. unitary
 According to the relationship between the executive & legislature
1. Parliamentary
2. presidential
 Concept Of Local Government
 INTRODUCTION

 A government is an institution or a system made of a group of people that

takes care or manages a country or a state.
 Every government has its state constitution or a set of fundamental principles
that it follows to ensure effective governance.
 Dr. Harold Damerow says that government is 'responsible primarily for
making public policy for an entire society.’
 He also mentions that government is 'the steering mechanism for a given
society.' It forms the policies that keep a particular society heading in the right
direction.
 A government is an organization or institution that
creates and executes laws and policies in a society. It
is given the power to administer over a particular
area and its inhabitants. This power includes:
 Legislative or the power to create laws and policies.
 Executive or the power to enforce the law.
 Judicial or the power to define the law.
 WHAT IS REGIME?

 In political science, a regime is usually defined as a set of rules and norms

determining how politics works in a country.
 These rules might be formal, like a constitutional provision in France that
affirms the president is elected for five years, or informal, like a tradition in
the United Kingdom that maintains that the monarch cannot veto bills.
 The rules defining a regime specify the workings of its political institutions
(the government, legislature, courts, etc.). 
 WHAT IS GOVERNANCE?

 Governance refers to all aspects of the way the government fulfills its job for societal and
economic development.
 It is a process of governing by which all governmental, as well as non-governmental
organizations, civil societies, private sectors, are involved in the process of policymaking and
the process of implementation of that policies. 
 In simple words, The processes that lead policymaking and its implementation can be
called as governance. 
 Governance has been defined to refer to structures and processes that are designed to ensure
accountability, transparency, responsiveness, rule of law, stability, equity and inclusiveness,
empowerment, and broad-based participation.
 Governance also represents the norms, values and rules of the game through which public
affairs are managed in a manner that is transparent, participatory, inclusive and responsive
 FORMS OF GOVERNMENT

According to the number of people who rule 

1. Monarchy
2. oligarchy
3. Democracy
4. Authoritarianism
5. Totalitarianism
 According to the relationship between the national & local
1. Federal
2. Unitary
 According to the Relationship between the Executive & Legislature
1. Parliamentary
2. Presidential
 Forms Of Government According To The Number Of People
Who Rule 

Monarchy
 With a Latin and Greek roots meaning “One Ruler” is a type of political system
in which a single family rules from generation to generation. Monarchy was
typical in the ancient agrarian (agriculture) societies.
 In Weber’s term, then monarchy is legitimized by tradition.
Types of Monarchy
 Constitutional Monarch: Most of the world’s monarchies are “Constitutional
Monarchies” in which the reigning member of the royal family is the symbolic
head of state but elected officials actually do the governing.
 Today the Queen of England holds a largely ceremonial position,
Absolute monarch
 Absolute monarchy, or absolutism, meant that the
ultimate authority to run a state was in the hands of a king
who ruled by divine right.
  The authority of the monarch could include all areas of:
administration, taxes, justice and foreign policy.
 DEMOCRACY

 In a democracy, a country’s people are involved in choosing its leader or

head. The people are involved in the process of forming a government.
 They have the free will and right to vote for a party to come into power.
 The right to vote is not determined by wealth or class or race. In a
democracy, there are different parties that have a manifesto or an idea
about how a country should be governed.
 A democratic government is formed when a majority of people support a
certain party as the ruling party or power.
 AUTHORITARIANISM

  Authoritarianism refers to political systems in which an individual or a group of individuals

holds power, restricts or prohibits popular participation in governance, and represses dissent.
 In this system rulers do not originate from free and fair elections but reach power via other
means (election rigging, coup, revolutions, hereditary succession, or appointment by the ruling
class).
 Various forms of repression are used against political opponents. Civil liberties are restricted to
prevent opponents from reaching power.

OLIGARCHY
 Oligarchies are governments in which a collection of individuals rules over a nation.
 A specific set of qualities, such as wealth, heredity, and race, are used to give a small group of
people power.
 Oligarchies often have authoritative rulers and an absence of democratic practices or individual
rights.
 TOTALITARIANISM

 Totalitarianism refers to political systems that include all the features

of authoritarianism but are even more repressive as they try to regulate
and control all aspects of citizens’ lives and fortunes.
Authoritarianism VS Totalitarianism
 Authoritarianism and totalitarianism are general terms for non-
democratic political systems ruled by an individual or a group of
individuals who are not freely elected by their populations and who
often exercise arbitrary power.
 According to the relationship between the national & local
level

 On the basis of relationship between the Centre and the units, the governments may be classified
as unitary and federal. In a unitary government, all the powers of government are vested in the
central government whereas in a federal government, the powers of government are divided
between the Centre and the units.
Federalism 
 Federalism refers to a set of institutional arrangements, dividing power between a central
government and regional governments.
 Federalism is the theory or advocacy of federal principles for dividing powers between member
units and common institutions.
 The decision-making bodies of member units may also participate in central decision-making
bodies.
 Denis de Rougement argues that federalism is ‘essentially an attitude, which comprises four
basic principles: diversity, interdependence, responsibility and efficiency’.
 According to Robinson and Simeon, ‘federalism is about the coexistence of multiple loyalties
and identities and about shared and divided authority’
 The goal of federalism is to preserve personal liberty by separating the powers of the
government so that one government or group may not dominate all powers.
 • A great example of federalism is found in the United States. The authority of government is
split into two sects i-e:
 The federal government
 its subdivisions the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
 The individual fifty states and their own government and ruling power.
 Between the two systems they each have their own unique and sovereign powers that they use to
implement and regulate rules and guidelines for citizens.
 UNITARY SYSTEM

 Unitary government is a kind of government system in which a single power, which is known
as the central government, controls the whole government. In fact, all powers and
administrative divisions authorities lies at the central place.
 The unitary government system is based on the concept of consistency, unity, and identity
that’s why the centralization of power and authority system remains at the top priority. The
decision-making power rests with the central government that are shared by the
government with the lower-level government when needed.
 A unitary state is the opposite of a federation, where governmental powers and responsibilities
are divided. In a unitary state, the political subdivisions must carry out the directives of the
central government but have no power to act on their own.
 CONCEPT OF DEVOLUTION

 In a unitary state, the central government may grant some powers to its local
governments through a legislative, this process is called “devolution.” 
 The term devolution refers to the transfer of power from a central government to
state, regional, or local governments.
 the central government reserves supreme power and can revoke the powers it
devolves to the local governments or invalidate their actions.
 Devolution usually occurs through individually enacted laws rather than through
amendments to a country’s constitution. As a result, unitary governments retain
the power to restrict or withdraw the powers of the subnational authorities at any
time.
 PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM

 Parliamentary system has been taken from the United Kingdom because U.K.
constitution is the mother constitution of parliamentarianism.
The parliamentary system of government is based on close relationship
between the executive and legislature.
The executive is accountable to the legislature and stays in office inly as long as
it enjoys the confidence of legislature.
Under parliamentary system of government there are two types of executives-
nominal and real. The real executive is accountable to the legislature.
The President serves as the government’s nominal executive, but the Prime
Minister and the Council of Ministers serve as the real executive.
It is also called ministerial or cabinet system. Cabinet or parliamentary form of government is that in which;
 Legislature and executive are closely related and share powers with each other.
 Cabinet is formed by the parliament and parliament is the superior organ.
 There are two executives i.e. the elected president or king and the Prime Minister. President represents
state and Prime Minister represents government
 Cabinet is responsible before the legislature
 There are four things involved in the system of parliamentary democracy:

1) First is the Parliament of elected representative candidates.

2) The second is a system of Parties, each reflecting some general trend of thoughts.
3) the third characteristic is a cabinet that guides the parliament, and yet at the same time is itself guided by the
parliament.
4) last and the foremost characteristic is the idea of representation of people.
 PRESIDENTIAL FORM OF GOVERNMENT

 It refers to a system of governance in which the President is the Chief Executive

and is elected directly by the people.
 The head of the government thus exists separately from the legislature. It is a
form of government where the three branches (legislature, executive and
judiciary) exist separately and cannot dismiss or dissolve the other branch.
 While the legislature makes the laws, the President enforces them and it is the
courts that are responsible for exercising judicial duties.
 The presidential form of govt is based on the principle of separation of power
between the executive and legislature. Under this system the executive is
independent from the control of legislature.
 DEFINITION

 In the opinion of Gettell, “presidential government is that form in which the chief
executive is independent of the legislature as to his tenure and to a large extent, as to his
policies and acts. In this system, the head of the state is real executive.”
 According to D.V. Verney. “The term presidential has been chosen because in this system
the office of the head of the government and head of state is combined in president.”
 The Americans invented the presidential system in 1787 to replace their decade-old fraying
structure.  After gaining independence, the 13 American colonies lived under the Articles of
Confederation.
 This presidential system grants limited powers, empowers state governments, separates the
three branches into different institutions, enables the minority to make laws, grants judiciary
the power of review, and above all, gives the people a direct say. 
 Presidential system of democracy has main virtue of stability.
 It concentrates powers in strong hands of one President.
 President being elected by popular vote for a fixed term.
 In formation of his cabinet, the choice would not be limited to
the members of Parliament. The President may choose persons
of outstanding competence and intellectual integrity to help him
in administration of the country.
 CONCEPT OF LOCAL
GOVERNMENT
What is local government?
 A legal entity that is formed with the aim of delivering local and communal public services in a
particular geography, whose decision making body is acceded through free elections and that has
administrative and financial autonomy.
 Local government may be loosely defined as a public organization authorized to decide and
administer a limited range of public policies within a relatively small territory which is a subdivision
of a regional or national government.
 Local self-government is an autonomous system of local community management, which is based on
inner parts of the state territory.
 Local government is the third level of government deliberately created to bring government to the
grass-roots population and gives the grass-roots population a sense of involvement in the political
processes.
 local government is the lowest level of formal state institutions, such as district-level officials
or local, publicly accountable decision-making and service-delivery organizations constituted
in accordance with national laws. It is a city, county, parish, township, municipality, borough,
board, district, or other general purpose political subdivision of a state.
 Local government is responsible for a range of vital services for people and businesses in
defined areas. Among them are well known functions such as social care, schools, housing and
planning and waste collection, but also lesser known ones such as licensing, business support,
registrar services and pest control.
 Local councils, which is the most common type of local authority, are made up of councilors
who are elected by the public in local elections.
 Councilors work with local people and partners, such as local businesses and other
organizations, to agree and deliver on local priorities.
 The decisions are implemented by permanent council staff, council officers, who deliver
 Local government serves a two-fold purpose:
 The first purpose is the administrative purpose of supplying goods and services
 the other purpose is to represent and involve citizens in determining specific local public
needs and how these local needs can be met.
 Local governments serve three primary functions:
 health and safety
 welfare
 housekeeping.
 In the area of health and safety, local governments are responsible for police and fire
protection, immunizations for contagious diseases, hospital services, local roads, garbage
collection, and safe drinking water. Sanitation, housing, and air and water pollution are also
under local jurisdiction.
 In the area of welfare, education is the largest expense. However, libraries, museums,
parks, recreational facilities and mass transit also fall under local control. In some
communities public housing and economic development may also be a function of one of
the local governments.
 Housekeeping functions include keeping records of births, deaths, marriages, and
property transfers. Collecting taxes and administering elections are also local government
responsibilities.