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:
- There is a single ruler who is the head of state.
- The monarch exercises his power from the moment he takes office until his death.
- The transfer of power occurs through kinship, which is called inheritance.
- The monarch has every right to govern the state at his own discretion; his decisions are not discussed or questioned.
- 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:
- Despotism.
- Absolute monarchy.
- Constitutional monarchy (dualistic and parliamentary).
- 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:
- 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.
- 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 state 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:
- A clearly established succession to the throne helps keep the country in a relatively stable state.
- A monarch who rules for life is able to do more than a time-limited ruler.
- 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:
- 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.
- 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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 in the degree of limitation of the power of the monarch: dualistic monarchy and parliamentary monarchy. A special type of M. is elective, combining elements of M. and the republic. Such a monarchy now exists in Malaysia, where the head of state is the monarch, elected for five years by a special meeting of representatives of the monarchical states that are part of the federation.
Excellent definition
Incomplete definition ↓
MONARCHY
in the lane from Greek - autocracy) is a form of government in which supreme power for life (fully - absolute M.) or partially (limited M.) belongs to the sole head of state. M. is a form of government in which the head of state - a monarch (emperor, king, sultan, etc.) has a special legal status. His powers are primary, not derived from any power in the state; he acquires his post, as a rule, by inheritance and occupies it for life. In its development, M. goes through a number of stages, changing and acquiring new features. The first form of democracy was slaveholding society. Initially, it appeared in the form of oriental despotism, which many states of the Ancient East had - Babylon, Egypt, India. The monarchical form of government of Ancient Rome, which existed for more than five centuries, differed from eastern despotism. Specific to the feudal system were early feudal M. (from the 11th century BC to the 1st century AD) and class-representative M. (from the 10th to the 15th centuries). The latter is characterized by the strengthening of central power, the concentration in the hands of the monarch of the main levers of control, and reliance on the large nobility and broad sections of the urban population. Along with the strong power of the monarch, which was based on a powerful army and an extensive police apparatus, there were representative bodies: in Russia - Councils, in England - Parliament, in Poland - the Free Sejm, in France - the Estates General.
Depending on the legal status of the monarch, it is customary to distinguish between absolute and limited M. Absolute M. is characterized by the omnipotence of the monarch and the absence of any representative institutions of power; it arises in conditions of an agrarian system, i.e. characteristic (according to the terminology of K. Marx) for the slave-owning (for example, Rome of the dominant era - 3rd century AD) and feudal socio-economic formation. As a rule, the transition from an agrarian system to an industrial one in the process of bourgeois revolutions (XVII - XIX centuries) was accompanied by the abolition of absolute capital. Legally, the monarch is the source of any power; he determines the limits of power in the regulations issued by him. The basis of any law is the will of the monarch. Absolute M. is characterized by the following legal features:
1) concentration in the hands of the monarch of all power (the monarch issues laws, heads the executive branch, and rules the highest court);
2) personification of the state in the person of the monarch. The catchphrase of the French king Louis XIV, “The State is me,” best characterizes this feature of the monarchy - the individuality of rule. A monarchical state is a state in which power belongs to one person, and he uses this power at his own discretion and right. It is characterized by giving power a sacred (divine) origin, endowing it with religious content (a monarch is God’s anointed, i.e. a person endowed with unlimited power from God. Monarchs were often at the same time the highest clergy); 3) transfer of power by inheritance and the unlimited nature of its implementation; 4) release of the monarch from any responsibility (the irresponsibility of the monarch was expressed in the principle “The King cannot be wrong”). Absolute M. in modern conditions is an exception. As a form of government, absolute democracy became most widespread in the era of late feudalism. Nowadays it has been preserved only in some countries of the East, where traditional patriarchal forms of social life predominate (for example, in Oman, Qatar, Brunei). As a unique form of conservation of the traditions of tribal patriarchal democracy ++ of the pre-instrumental era, absolute M. is preserved in countries with a fairly high level of economic development and developed social infrastructure (Saudi Arabia).
The democratization of public life and the desire to limit absolutist power contributed to the emergence of limited democracy—a form of government in which the power of the monarch is to one degree or another bound (limited) by law and constitution. Depending on the degree of such restriction, a distinction is made between dualistic and parliamentary parliament. Dualistic parliament is characterized by the fact that, along with the monarch, who retains legal and actual independence, there are representative institutions of power with legislative (legislative) and control functions. Executive power belongs to the monarch, who can exercise it directly or through the government (as was, in particular, characteristic of Russia at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries). Essentially, we are talking about the principle of separation of powers in the state, although in a very limited form. Although the monarch does not legislate, he is endowed with the right of absolute veto, i.e. the monarch is free to approve (give force) or not to approve the law. Only he had the right to pass emergency decrees equal in force to laws; can dissolve parliament (i.e. abolish the dualistic monarchy). This form of government was most common in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The modern dualistic monarchy, preserved only in the countries of the Middle East (Jordan, Morocco), is characterized by the presence of an elected representative body - parliament (in Jordan this is the Majlis), which has the right to pass laws and vote (approve) the budget. The monarch is the head of state, who simultaneously has prerogatives in the sphere of executive power. He also appoints a ruler responsible to him.
Modern developed states are characterized by a constitutional (parliamentary) form of M. This form of government is somewhat similar to a modern parliamentary republic and is characterized by the legal enshrinement in the country’s constitution of the principle of separation of powers with the simultaneous principle of the supremacy of parliament over the executive branch. The monarch, in relation to this form of government, is nothing more than a symbol of the nation, a kind of decoration. Thus, the Spanish Constitution of 1978 (Article 56) recognizes the king as a symbol of the unity and permanence of the state. The Japanese Constitution of 1946 is based on the premise that “the emperor is the symbol of the state and the unity of the nation” (Article 1). The legal status of the monarch, figuratively speaking, can be defined as follows: “He reigns, but does not rule.” The monarch has no real powers to govern the state. Its functions are mainly of a representative nature. The monarch affixes his signature to all the most important state acts. However, based on the principle “the monarch is not responsible” (cannot bear political and legal responsibility), such a signature requires a countersignature procedure (signed by the responsible minister or head of the executive branch). The monarch also affixes his signature to laws adopted by parliament, and is sometimes given the right of relative veto, but uses it extremely rarely. Constitutional (parliamentary) monarchy is a fairly common form of government. It exists in Denmark, the Netherlands, Canada, Austria and other countries (there are about 65 in total).
Modern government practice also knows non-traditional forms of voting. These include elective voting, which exists in countries where the structures of feudal and traditional society are preserved (Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates). In particular, the head of the Federation of Malaysia is elected by the Council of Rulers, which unites the heads of 11 monarchical states. In the United Arab Emirates, the emirs (the heads of the seven Gulf principalities that make up the UAE) elect the President of the UAE.
The so-called theocratic societies are also known, where the head of state, the monarch, is at the same time the head of one or another religious cult, representing one of the world religions. Such M. includes the Vatican, where the spiritual ruler of Catholics around the world is also the head of this state. Elements of this form of government are present in Saudi Arabia, where the head of state, the king, performs not only the religious functions of the custodian of the main shrines of the Muslim world, but is also the head of the Wahhabi branch of Islam.
Excellent definition
Incomplete definition ↓
For many centuries, in almost the entire civilized world, power was organized according to the type of monarchy. Then the existing system was overthrown by revolutions or wars, but there are still states that consider this form of government acceptable for themselves. So, what types of monarchy are there and how do they differ from each other?
Monarchy: concept and types
The word “μοναρχία” existed in ancient Greek and meant “unique power.” It is easy to guess that monarchy in the historical and political sense is a form of government in which all power or most of it is concentrated in the hands of one person.
The monarch is called differently in different countries: emperor, king, prince, king, emir, khan, sultan, pharaoh, duke, and so on. The transfer of power by inheritance is a characteristic feature of the monarchy.
The concept and types of monarchies are an interesting subject for study by historians, political scientists and even politicians. A wave of revolutions, starting with the Great French Revolution, overthrew such a system in many countries. However, in the 21st century, modern types of monarchy successfully continue to exist in Great Britain, Monaco, Belgium, Sweden and other countries. Hence the numerous debates on the topic of whether the monarchical system limits democracy and whether such a state can develop intensively?
Classic signs of a monarchy
Numerous types of monarchy differ from each other in a number of characteristics. But there are also general provisions that are inherent in most of them.
There are examples in history when some types of republic and monarchy bordered so closely on each other in terms of political structure that it was difficult to give the state an unambiguous status. For example, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was headed by a monarch, but he was elected by the Sejm. Some historians call the controversial political regime of the Republic of Poland - gentry democracy.
Types of monarchy and their characteristics
There are two large groups of monarchies that have formed:
- according to the limitations of monarchical power;
- taking into account the traditional structure of power.
Before examining in detail the characteristics of each form of government, it is necessary to determine the existing types of monarchy. The table will help you do this clearly.
Absolute monarchy
Absolutus - translated from Latin as “unconditional”. Absolute and constitutional are the main types of monarchy.
An absolute monarchy is a form of government in which unconditional power is concentrated in the hands of one person and is not limited to any government structures. This method of political organization is similar to a dictatorship, since in the hands of the monarch there may be not only the fullness of military, legislative, judicial and executive power, but even religious power.
During the Age of Enlightenment, theologians began to explain the right of one person to individually control the fate of an entire people or state by the divine exclusivity of the ruler. That is, the monarch is God's anointed on the throne. The religious people sacredly believed in this. There are known cases when terminally ill French people came to the walls of the Louvre on certain days. People believed that by touching the hand of Louis XIV, they would receive the desired healing from all their illnesses.
There are different types of absolute monarchy. For example, absolute theocratic is a type of monarchy in which the head of the church is also the head of state. The most famous European country with this form of government is the Vatican.
A constitutional monarchy
This form of monarchical government is considered progressive because the ruler's power is limited to ministers or parliament. The main types of constitutional monarchy are dualistic and parliamentary.
In a dualistic organization of power, the monarch is given executive power, but no decision can be made without the approval of the relevant minister. Parliament retains the right to vote the budget and pass laws.
In a parliamentary monarchy, all levers of government are actually concentrated in the hands of parliament. The monarch approves ministerial candidates, but parliament still nominates them. It turns out that the hereditary ruler is simply a symbol of his state, but without the approval of parliament he cannot make a single nationally important decision. In some cases, parliament can even dictate to the monarch on what principles he should build his personal life.
Ancient Eastern monarchy
If we were to analyze in detail the list describing the types of monarchy, the table would begin with ancient Eastern monarchical formations. This is the first form of monarchy that appeared in our world, and it had peculiar features.
The ruler in such state formations was appointed by the leader of the community, who managed religious and economic affairs. One of the main duties of the monarch was to serve the cult. That is, he became a kind of priest, and organizing religious ceremonies, interpreting divine signs, preserving the wisdom of the tribe - these were his primary tasks.
Since the ruler in the eastern monarchy was directly connected with the gods in the minds of the people, he was given quite broad powers. For example, he could interfere in the internal affairs of any family and dictate his will.
In addition, the ancient Eastern monarch monitored the distribution of lands among his subjects and the collection of taxes. He established the scope of work and duties and led the army. Such a monarch necessarily had advisers - priests, noble people, elders.
Feudal monarchy
The types of monarchy as a form of government have transformed over time. After the ancient Eastern monarchy, the feudal form of government took precedence in political life. It is divided into several periods.
The early feudal monarchy emerged as a result of the evolution of slave states or the primitive communal system. As is known, the first rulers of such states were generally recognized military commanders. Relying on the support of the army, they established their supreme power over the peoples. To strengthen his influence in certain regions, the monarch sent his governors there, from whom the nobility was subsequently formed. The rulers did not bear any legal responsibility for their actions. In practice, institutions of power did not exist. The ancient Slavic state - Kievan Rus - fits this description.
After a period of feudal fragmentation, patrimonial monarchies began to form, in which large feudal lords inherited not only power, but also lands to their sons.
Then, for some time in history, an estate-representative form of government existed, until most states turned into absolute monarchies.
Theocratic monarchy
Types of monarchy, differing in traditional structure, include in their list the theocratic form of government.
In such a monarchy, the absolute ruler is the representative of the religion. With this form of government, all three branches of power pass into the hands of the clergy. Examples of such states in Europe have been preserved only on the territory of the Vatican, where the Pope is both the head of the church and the state ruler. But in Muslim countries there are a few more modern theocratic-monarchical examples - Saudi Arabia, Brunei.
Types of monarchy today
The flames of revolution failed to eradicate the monarchical system throughout the world. This form of government has been preserved in the 21st century in many respected countries.
In Europe, in the small parliamentary principality of Andorra, as of 2013, two princes ruled at once - Francois Hollande and Joan Enric Vives i Sicil.
In Belgium, King Philippe ascended the throne in 2013. A small country with a smaller population than Moscow or Tokyo, it is not just a constitutional parliamentary monarchy, but also a federal territorial system.
Since 2013, the Vatican has been headed by Pope Francis. The Vatican is a city-state that still maintains a theocratic monarchy.
The famous parliamentary monarchy of Great Britain has been ruled by Queen Elizabeth II since 1952, and Queen Margrethe II has ruled in Denmark since 1972.
In addition, the monarchical system has been preserved in Spain, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Order of Malta, Monaco and many other countries.
Monarchy- a form of government in which supreme power belongs fully or partially to a representative of the ruling dynasty - a monarch (king, czar, shah, etc.). The monarch inherits state power in a certain order and acts as the sole head of state.
Signs of a monarchical form of government:
The existence of a sole bearer of supreme state power;
Dynastic succession to supreme power;
Lifelong ownership of power by the monarch: the laws of the monarchy do not provide for the removal of the monarch from power;
Lack of legal responsibility of the monarch for his actions (for example, according to the Military Regulations of Peter I, the sovereign is “an autocratic monarch who should not give an answer to anyone in the world about his affairs”).
Monarchy is a very flexible and viable form of government. It arose in a slave-owning society. Under feudalism it became the main form of government. The monarchical form of government has not lost its significance and exists in a number of modern bourgeois states (England, Spain, etc.).
Types of monarchy. From the point of view of the complete power of the monarch, there are two types of monarchies: absolute and constitutional.
Absolute (unlimited) monarchy – form of government of a autocratic nature: the monarch single-handedly issues laws, directs the government, controls justice (Russia in the 17th – 18th centuries, absolute monarchies of the feudal era, in the modern period - Brunei). The main feature of an absolute monarchy is the unlimited and unaccountable power of the monarch. In such a state there is no parliament - a legislative body elected by the population; there are no constitutional acts limiting the power of the monarch.
Currently, absolute monarchy is a rare form of government. It is recognized that by all indicators it exists in Oman and Brunei. There is no representative body here; the king is also the supreme judge.
Absolute monarchy is inherent authoritarian regime. A type of absolute monarchy - theocratic monarchy, those. a form of government in which the head of state simultaneously represents secular and religious authorities(Saudi Arabia).
Constitutional (limited) monarchy - a form of government in which the power of the monarch is limited by an elected body - parliament - and a special legal act - the constitution. Here there is a distribution of powers of supreme power between a single body - the monarch and a collective body - parliament. Constitutional monarchy currently exists, for example, in Great Britain, Denmark, Belgium, Spain, Japan and other countries.
A constitutional monarchy can be dualistic and parliamentary. In a dualistic monarchy the organization of the highest bodies of state power is dual in nature: the monarch concentrates executive power in his hands, forms a government responsible to him, and legislative power belongs to parliament. At the same time, the monarch has the right to impose an absolute veto on laws adopted by parliament.
A dualistic monarchy arises in most cases at the junction of two historical eras - feudal and bourgeois. Currently, Morocco, Jordan, Kuwait and some other states are recognized as such.
For parliamentary monarchy The following features are characteristic:
The power of the monarch is limited in all spheres of state power, there is no dualism of any kind;
Executive power is exercised by the government, which is constitutionally responsible to parliament rather than to the monarch;
The government is formed from representatives of the party that wins the elections;
The head of government becomes the leader of the party with the largest number of seats in parliament;
Laws are passed by parliament, and their signing by the monarch is a formal act.
The monarch traditionally retains certain powers. It performs mainly representative functions and symbolizes the unity of the nation. In some states, he appoints the head of government. The position of the monarch exists due to the national commitment to the monarchical form of government, the recognition of the monarchy as the most appropriate form of state power.
The preservation of this type of monarchy is due to the cultural and historical heritage of the country, tribute to traditions, trust in the monarch, and the peculiarities of national thinking (mentality). Most modern monarchies are distinguished by these features, for example, Great Britain, Belgium, Spain, Japan, etc.
MONARCHY is a form of government in which the supreme power in the state is fully or partially owned by one -but-mu-li-tsu - mo-nar-hu (in a number of cases-cha-ev mo-nar-ham-so-pra-vi-te-lyam), about-la-giving-su -ve-re-none-that-and-is-an-object-under-given-st-va.
The establishment of a new monarchy is a re-zul-ta-tom of the expansion of the power of the pra-vi-te-lya (leader of the ple-me-ni , soyu-for-the-tribes, the head-you ran-not-by-tich. iz-yav-le-niya na-ro-da.
In ancient times, the monarchy was in the form of a predominantly unlimited de-spotia (mostly ha-rak-ter-na for go-su- gifts of the Ancient World). The highest form of monarchy in the ancient world was the imperial power in Rome. In the Middle Ages, the most widespread form of government was the so-called representative mo-narchy . At the is-ho-de of Sred-ne-ve-ko-vya and in the na-cha-le of No-v-time-me-ni in Europe ut-verzh-yes-et-sya ab-so -fierce monarchy (see Ab-so-lu-tism, in Russia - sa-mo-der-zha-vie).
The main monarchical ti-tu-ly: duke, im-pe-ra-tor, prince, king, king, etc., in the countries of Vo-sto-ka - sul-tan, khan , fa-ra-on, shah, emir, etc.
In the process of the establishment of ka-pi-ta-li-societies, the monarchy in many countries was overthrown and replaced on the re-pub-li-kan form of my rights (see Res-pub-li-ka) or trans-form-mi-ro-va-las into a constitutional monarchy . In a number of countries (Russia, Germany, Austria, Hungary, etc.), the monarchy fell as a result of revolutions. One of the forms of monarchy is theo-kra-tia, which has been spreading since ancient times and preserving - to this day.
More often than not, the mo-nar-hi-power of us is icy, when the di-na-stia is formed, but not ex- Xia and you-bo-ry mo-nar-ha, in particular during the pre-ry-va-niy of di-na-stia. There are three in a row in the next row: se-nyo-rat (the eldest in the family is on the throne), may-orat-ny (the throne is next to the eldest son of the mo-nar-ha) and to the right of the first-born-st-va ( the throne moves to the next one in the same line - he is succeeded by the eldest son, and -if he died before his father, then his eldest son, and after the end of his succession in the eldest the line of the throne moves to the senior representative of the next line).
In the system, the pre-sto-lo-na-sled-diya in de-vis-si-mo-sti from the rights of women are the following types when -mo-ge-ni-tu-ry: sa-li-che-skaya (for example, Japan), when the throne of mo-nar-ha can only be taken over by a man-chi- us; Kas-til-skaya (Is-pa-niya, etc.), when before-che-ri for-ni-ma-yut the throne, if from-someone or from-rek-she -there are no sons from the throne of the mo-nar-kha (at the same time, the youngest son has an advantage over the eldest sons). Ryu); Austria, until the reign of women, if in op-re-de-la-nyh in-ko-le-ny -yah di-na-stiy there is no man (for a long time he hasn’t used it); Scandi-Nav-skaya (Swe-den, etc.), us-ta-Nav-li-va-shaya equal rights of women and men to the throne according to the right of the first in-ro-st-va.
In the kon-sti-tu-tsi-on-monarchy there is a kon-sti-tu-tsiya and a de-st-vu-et par-la-ment. The kon-sti-tu-tsi-on-naya monarchy has two different types: the dua-li-sti-che-skaya monarchy and the par-la-men-tar-naya monarchy.
In the first juri-di-che-ski there are two centers of power (from here - dua-li-sti-che-skaya): the monarch is no longer because of the laws, they are accepted by the par-la-ment, but the management of the state-su-dar-st-vom is in ru- kah mo-nar-ha (for example, Yor-da-nia, Ku-wait, Ma-rok-ko). He knows the government (co-vet, ka-bi-no mi-st-st-rov), and it replies-st-ven-but only in front of him, but not in front of par-la-men-tom. In addition, the monarch has the right to issue a decree (decrees, decrees, re-sk-rip -you, etc.), which has no less, but actually more power than the law. Dua-li-sti-che-skaya monarchy exists in the countries of Europe and individual states of Asia (Nepal, Thailand , Japan) during the transition from an absolute monarchy to par-la-men-tar-noy or predominantly par-la-men-tar-noy.
In the par-la-men-tar-monarchy, the right-of-mind is the par-tiya, po-be-div-shay on the vy-bo-rah in the par-la-ment: the right-of-tel-st-vo for-mi -ru-et-sya with this party (blo-com party-tiy, which has a great deal of power in the par-la-men-te) and is not responsible for the answer in front of par-la-men-tom, but not in front of mo-nar-hom. The mo-narch acts “according to the co-ve-tu” of the pra-vi-tel-st-va (prime-mi-ni-st-ra), for the action of the mo-nar -ha on the management of the state-su-dar-st-vom is not responsible for the government-st-ven-ness of the government. Par-la-men-tar-us monarchies are almost all the monarchical countries of Europe, Japan, the monarchical countries of So -friend-st-va.
In some countries, monarchies can take special forms.