| A | B |
|---|
| Aristocracy | rule by the wealthy or upper class |
| Autocracy | rule by one person who has total control |
| Centralism | power is concentrated in a central group |
| Constitutional Monarchy | rule by a single person whose power is limited by a written document |
| Democracy | rule by the people |
| Despotism | rule by a person with absolute power |
| Dictatorship | rule by a person with absolute power |
| Fascism | rule by a single party |
| Federalism | rule by several states united under a central government |
| Feudalism | Medieval system of government |
| Matriarchy | rule by women |
| Monarchy | rule by a single person |
| Oligarchy | rule by a small group of persons |
| Patriarchy | rule by the father or male heir |
| Republicanism | rule by a representative democracy |
| Theocracy | rule by the clergy |
| Totalitarianism | rule by one party through political suppression |
| Parliamentary | unified executive and legislative branches |
| Presidential | separate and equal executive and legislative branches |
| Unitary | power in a single, central agency |
| Confederate | weak central government with only those powers granted to it by states |
| Force Theory | rule by use of force or threat of force |
| Divine Right Theory | right to rule granted by God |
| Evolutionary Theory | government is an extension of the family unit |
| Social Contract Theory | government based on people agreeing to co-exist |
| Nation-State | sovereign people of an area ruled by a government |
| Government | person or institution making and enforcing public policies of a nation-state |
