Philippine Etymology

The name of the Philippines is a truncated form of The Philippine Islands, derived from the
King Philip II of Spain in the 16th century. During the expedition of Ruy Lpez de Villalobos to
the Islands, Spanish sailor Bernardo de la Torre used the name Las Islas Filipinas in honour of
the then-Prince of Asturias, originally referring to the islands of Leyte and Samar. Despite the
presence of other names, the name Filipinas (Philippines) was eventually adopted as the
name of the entire archipelago.
The official name of the Philippines, however, has changed throughout the course of its
history. During the Philippine Revolution, the state officially called itself Repblica Filipina,
now referred to as the First Philippine Republic. From the period of the Spanish-American War
and the Philippine-American War until the Commonwealth, United States colonial authorities
referred to the Philippines as the Philippine Islands, a direct translation of the original
Spanish. It was during the American Period that the name "Philippines" began to appear, a
name that was officially adopted.
Historical Names

Ma-i. According to the Zhao Rugua's ( ) Zhfn-zh (, means "Description

of the Peoples") written around 1225 AD during the Song Dynasty. According to this,
there was a group of islands found in southern South China Sea called Ma-i ( ,
Pinyin: My). The islands groups were later invaded and renamed and identified by
the Spanish to be the island of Mindoro. This was further proved by Ferdinand
Blumentritt in his 1882 book, Versuch einer Ethnographie der Philippinen (An Attempt
to the Study of Ethnography of the Philippines) that Ma-i, which means "country of
the Blacks" was the Chinese local name of present-day Mindoro. On the other hand,
historians claimed that Ma-i was not an island, but all the south of South Sea islands
groups and Manila itself, which was known to be the Chinese settlements and in
constant contact with the China Government as early as the 9th century CE and
earlier. Ma-i consists of the Snzhu ( , "Three islands") group of islands: Kia-mayen ( , Calamian), Blwng ( , Palawan) and Pa-ki-nung ( ,
Busuanga). Aside from Snzhu, Ma-i also consists of the islands of Pai-p'u-yen (
, Babuyan), P'u-li-lu (, Polillo), Lim-kia-tung (, Lingayen), Liu-sung (,
Luzon) and Li-ban ( , Lubang). It was said that these islands had contacts with
Chinese traders from Canton (Guangdong) as early as 982 AD.
Lei was the name given by the Chinese to the present-day island of Luzon, originated
from the Tagalog word lusong, a wooden mortar that is used to pound rice. When the
Spanish produced maps of the Philippines during early 17th century, they called the
island Luonia which was later respelled as Luzonia, then Luzon.
Las islas de San Lzaro (St. Lazarus' Islands). Named by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521
when he reached the islands of Homonhon in the island of Samar (now present-day
Eastern Samar) on the feast day of Saint Lazarus of Bethany.
Las islas de Poniente (Islands to the West). Another name from Ferdinand Magellan in
1521 when he learned that the Las islas de San Lzaro also included Cebu and Leyte
islands. However, various sources claimed that Magellan was not the one who
renamed the area, but his chroniclers instead. The name came from the fact that the
islands were reached from Spain en route approaching the left part of the globe.
Conversely, the Portuguese called the archipelago Ilhas do oriente (Islands to the
East) because they approached the islands from the east of Portugal in late 1540s.
The Portuguese referred the whole island of Luzon as ilhas Lues, or Luzones
Islands.
Mindanao was formerly called ilhas de Liquos Celebes because of the existence of
Celebes Sea south of Mindanao.

Las islas Filipinas (Philippine Islands/Islands belonging to Philip). Named by Ruy Lpez
de Villalobos in 1543 to Samar and Leyte, honoring the Prince of Asturias, the then
Philip II of Spain.
Caesarea Caroli was the name given by Villalobos to the island of Mindanao when he
reached the sea near it. This was named after the Charles V of the Holy Roman
Empire (and I of Spain).
The southern island of Sarangani was renamed by Villalobos as Antonia, in honor of
Antonio de Mendoza y Pacheco, the Viceroy of New Spain who commissioned
Villalobos expedition to the Philippines.
Villalobos also named the littoral zone between the islands of Samar and Leyte as
Tendaya.
Las islas Filipinas, or simply Filipinas (Philippines). Vernacular corruption of Las islas
Felipenas; irrevocably became the archipelago's name.
Pearl of the Orient/Pearl of the Orient Seas (Spanish: Perla de oriente/Perla del mar de
oriente) is the sobriquet of the Philippines. The term originated from the idea of
Spanish Jesuit missionary Fr. Juan J. Delgado in 1751. In his last poem Mi ltimo adis,
Dr. Jos Rizal referred the country with this name. In the 1960 revision of Lupang
Hinirang, the Philippine national anthem. The Tagalog version of this phrase was
included as the translation from the original Spanish.
The Philippine Islands. This was the anglicized form of the original Spanish name,
used under direct American rule and the succeeding Commonwealth Era.

Government
Wikipedia
A government is the system by which a state or community is governed. In the
Commonwealth of Nations, the word government is also used more narrowly to refer to the
collective group of people that exercises executive authority in a state. This usage is
analogous to what is called an "administration" in American English. Furthermore,
government is occasionally used in English as a synonym for governance.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislators,
administrators, and arbitrators. Government is the means by which state policy is enforced,
as well as the mechanism for determining the policy of the state. A form of government, or
form of state governance, refers to the set of political systems and institutions that make up
the organization of a specific government.
Government of any kind currently affects every human activity in many important ways. For
this reason, political scientists generally argue that government should not be studied by
itself; but should be studied along with anthropology, economics, environmentalism, history,
philosophy, science, and sociology.
Dictionary.com
The political direction and control exercised over the actions of the members, citizens, or
inhabitants of communities, societies, and states; direction of the affairs of a state,
community, etc.; political administration.
Merriam Webster
The group of people who control and make decisions for a country, state, etc.; a particular
system used for controlling a country, state, etc.; the process or manner of controlling a
country, state, etc.

Kinds of Governments
Aristarchic attributes

Term

Definition

Rule by elite citizens. It has come to mean rule by "the aristocracy" who are
people of noble birth. An aristocracy is a government by the "best" people. A
Aristocrac

person who rules in an aristocracy is an aristocrat. Aristocracy is different

from nobility, in that nobility means that one bloodline would rule; an
aristocracy would mean that a few or many bloodlines would rule, or that
rulers be chosen in a different manner.

Geniocrac
y

Kratocrac
y

Meritocrac
y

Timocracy

Rule by the intelligent; a system of governance where creativity, innovation,

intelligence and wisdom are required for those who wish to govern.
See Aristocracy of the wise.

Rule by the strong; a system of governance where those who are strong
enough seize power through physical force, social maneuvering or political
cunning. The process can mimic Darwinian selection.

Rule by the meritorious; a system of governance where groups are selected

on the basis of people's ability, knowledge in a given area, and contributions
to society.

Rule by honor; a system of governance ruled by honorable citizens and

property owners. Socrates defines a timocracy as a government ruled by
people who love honour and are selected according to the degree of honour
they hold in society. This form of timocracy is very similar to meritocracy, in
the sense that individuals of outstanding character or faculty are placed in the
seat of power. European feudalism and post-Revolutionary America are
historical examples of this type; the city-state of Sparta provided another real-

world model for this form of government.

Rule by the educated or technical experts; a system of governance where

people who are skilled or proficient govern in their respective areas of
Technocra
cy

expertise in technology would be in control of all decision making. Doctors,

engineers, scientists, professionals and technologists who have knowledge,
expertise, or skills, would compose the governing body, instead of politicians,
businessmen, and economists. In a technocracy, decision makers would be
selected based upon how knowledgeable and skillful they are in their field.

Autocratic attributes

Term

Definition

Rule by one individual, whose decisions are subject to neither external legal
Autocracy

restraints nor regular mechanisms of popular control (except perhaps for

implicit threat). An autocrat needs servants while a despot needs slaves.

Rule by a single entity with absolute power. That entity may be an individual,
Despotis
m

as in an autocracy, or it may be a group, as in an oligarchy. The word

despotism means to "rule in the fashion of a despot" and does not necessarily
require a single, or individual, "despot". A despot needs slaves while an
autocrat needs servants.

Rule by an individual who has full power over the country. The term may refer
to a system where the dictator came to power, and holds it, purely by force;
Dictatorsh
ip

but it also includes systems where the dictator first came to power
legitimately but then was able to amend the constitution so as to, in effect,
gather all power for themselves. In a military dictatorship, the army is in
control. Usually, there is little or no attention to public opinion or individual
rights. See also Autocracy and Stratocracy.

Rule by leader base only. Focuses heavily on patriotism and national identity.
The leader(s) has the power to make things illegal that do not relate to
nationalism, or increase belief in national pride. They believe their nation is
Fascism

based on commitment to an organic national community where its citizens are

united together as one people through a national identity. It exalts nation and
race above the individual and stands for severe economic and social
regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.

Monarchic attributes

Term

Definition

Absolute

Variant of monarchy; a system of governance in which a monarch exercises

monarchy

ultimate governing authority as head of state and head of government.

Constitutiona
l monarchy

Variant of monarchy; a system of governance that has a monarch, but one

whose powers are limited by law or by a formal constitution, such as that
in the United Kingdom.

Variant of monarchy; a system of government in which two individuals,

the diarchs, are the heads of state. In most diarchies, the diarchs hold their
position for life and pass the responsibilities and power of the position to
Diarchy

their children or family when they die. Diarchy is one of the oldest forms of
government. In modern usage diarchy means a system of dual rule,
whether this be of a government or of an organisation. Such 'diarchies' are
not hereditary.

Variant of monarchy; a system of governance that has an elected monarch,

Elective
monarchy

in contrast to a hereditary monarchy in which the office is automatically

passed down as a family inheritance. The democratic manner of election,
the nature of candidate qualifications, and the electors vary from case to
case.

Similar to a monarchy or sultanate; a system of governance in which the

Emirate

supreme power is in the hands of an emir (the ruler of a Muslim state); the
emir may be an absolute overlord or a sovereign with constitutionally
limited authority.

Variant of monarchy; a system of governance where a federation of states

Federal

with a single monarch as overall head of the federation, but retaining

monarchy

different monarchs, or a non-monarchical system of government, in the

various states joined to the federation.

Monarchy

Rule by royalty; a system of governance where an individual who has

inherited the role and expects to bequeath it to their heir.

Pejorative attributes

Term

Definition

Rule by banks; a system of governance with excessive power or influence

Bankocracy

of banks and other financial authorities on public policy-making. It can

also refer to a form of government where financial institutions rule society.

Rule by corporations; a system of governance where an economic and

Corporatocrac

political system is controlled by corporations or corporate interests. Its use

is generally pejorative. Examples include company rule in India and

business voters for the City of London Corporation.

Nepotocracy

Rule by nephews; favouritism granted to relatives regardless of merit; a

system of governance in which importance is given to the relatives of
those already in power, like a nephew (where the word comes from). In
such governments even if the relatives aren't qualified they are given
positions of authority just because they know someone who already has

authority. Pope Alexander VI(Borgia) was accused of this.

Rule by the stupid; a system of governance where the worst or leastKakistocracy

qualified citizens govern or dictate policies. Due to human nature being

inherently flawed, it has been suggested that every government which
has ever existed has been a prime example of kakistocracy. See Idiocracy.

Rule by thieves; a system of governance where its officials and the ruling
class in general pursue personal wealth and political power at the expense
of the wider population. In strict terms kleptocracy is not a form of
Kleptocracy

government but a characteristic of a government engaged in such

(Mafia state)

behavior. Examples include Mexico as being considered

a narcokleptocracy, since its democratic government is perceived to be
corrupted by those who profit from trade in illegal drugs smuggled into
the United States.

Rule by the general populace; a system of governance where mob rule is

government by mob or a mass of people, or the intimidation of legitimate
authorities. As a pejorative for majoritarianism, it is akin to
the Latin phrase mobile vulgus meaning "the fickle crowd", from which
Ochlocracy

the English term "mob" was originally derived in the 1680s. Ochlocratic
governments are often a democracy spoiled by demagoguery, "tyranny of
the majority" and the rule of passion over reason; such governments can
be as oppressive as autocratic tyrants. Ochlocracy is synonymous in
meaning and usage to the modern, informal term "mobocracy."

Authoritarian Attributes

Term

Definition

Rule by authoritarian governments is identified in societies where a specific

Authoritari

set of people possess the authority of the state in a republic or union. It is

an

a political system controlled by unelected rulers who usually permit some

degree of individual freedom.

Rule by a totalitarian government is characterised by a highly centralised and

Totalitarian

coercive authority that regulates nearly every aspect of public and private
life.

Democratic attributes

Term

Definition

Variant of democracy; government in which the state is governed

by randomly selected decision makers who have been selected
by sortition (lot) from a broadly inclusive pool of eligible citizens. These
groups, sometimes termed "policy juries", "citizens' juries", or "consensus
conferences", deliberately make decisions about public policies in much
the same way that juries decide criminal cases.
Demarchy, in theory, could overcome some of the functional problems of
conventional representative democracy, which is widely subject to
manipulation by special interests and a division between professional
Demarchy

policymakers (politicians and lobbyists) vs. a largely passive, uninvolved

and often uninformed electorate. According to Australian philosopher John
Burnheim, random selection of policymakers would make it easier for
everyday citizens to meaningfully participate, and harder for special
interests to corrupt the process.
More generally, random selection of decision makers from a larger group is
known as sortition (from the Latin base for lottery). The Athenian
democracy made much use of sortition, with nearly all government offices
filled by lottery (of full citizens) rather than by election. Candidates were
almost always male, Greek, educated citizens holding a minimum of
wealth and status.

Rule by a government chosen by election where most of the populace are

enfranchised. The key distinction between a democracy and other forms of
constitutional government is usually taken to be that the right to vote is
not limited by a person's wealth or race (the main qualification for
enfranchisement is usually having reached a certain age). A democratic
Democracy

government is, therefore, one supported (at least at the time of the
election) by a majority of the populace (provided the election was held
fairly). A "majority" may be defined in different ways. There are many
"power-sharing" (usually in countries where people mainly identify
themselves by race or religion) or "electoral-college" or "constituency"
systems where the government is not chosen by a simple one-vote-perperson headcount.

Direct

Variant of democracy; government in which the people represent

democracy

themselves and vote directly for new laws and public policy
Variant of democracy; a form of government in which representative
democracy operates under the principles of liberalism. It is characterised
by fair, free, and competitive elections betweenmultiple distinct political
parties, a separation of powers into different branches of government,
the rule of law in everyday life as part of an open society, and the
protection of human rights and civil liberties for all persons. To define the
system in practice, liberal democracies often draw upon a constitution,
either formally written or uncodified, to delineate the powers of

Liberal

government and enshrine the social contract. After a period of sustained

democracy

expansion throughout the 20th century, liberal democracy became the

predominant political system in the world. A liberal democracy may take
various constitutional forms: it may be a constitutional republic, such
as France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, or the United States; or
a constitutional monarchy, such as Japan, Spain, or theUnited Kingdom. It
may have a presidential system (Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, or the United
States), a semi-presidential system (France or Taiwan), or a parliamentary
system (Australia, Canada,India, New Zealand, Poland, or the United
Kingdom).

Representativ
e democracy
Social

Variant of democracy; wherein the people or citizens of a country elect

representatives to create and implement public policy in place of active
participation by the people.
Variant of democracy; social democracy rejects the "either/or"

phobiocratic/polarisation interpretation of capitalism versus socialism. It

claims that fostering a progressive evolution of capitalism will gradually
result in the evolution of capitalist economy into socialist economy. Social
democracy argues that all citizens should be legally entitled to certain
social rights. These are made up of universal access to public services
democracy

such as: education, health care, workers' compensation, public

transportation, and other services including child care and care for the
elderly. Social democracy is connected with the trade union labour
movement and supports collective bargaining rights for workers.
Contemporary social democracy advocates freedom from discrimination
based on differences of: ability/disability, age, ethnicity, sex, gender,
language, race, religion, sexual orientation, and social class.
Variant of democracy; refers to a system of government in which lawfully

Totalitarian

elected representatives maintain the integrity of a nation state whose

democracy

citizens, while granted the right to vote, have little or no participation in

the decision-making process of the government.

Oligarchic attributes

Term

Definition

Rule by the proletariat, the workers, or the working class. Examples of

Ergatocra

ergatocracy include communist revolutionaries and rebels which control most

cy

of society and create an alternative economy for people and workers.

See Dictatorship of the proletariat.

Rule by judges; a system of governance composed of law enforcement

institutions in which the state and the legal systems are traditionally
and/or constitutionally the same entity. Kritarchic judges, magistrates and
Kritarchy

other adjudicators have the legal power to legislate and administrate the
enforcement of government laws, in addition to the interposition of laws and
the resolution of disputes. (Not to be confused with "judiciary" or "judicial
system".) Somalia, ruled by judges with the tradition of xeer,[18] as well as
the Islamic Courts Union, is a historical example.

Rule by social connections; a term invented by the editorial board of the

American technology magazine Wired in the early 1990s. A portmanteau of
Internet and aristocracy, netocracy refers to a perceived global upper-class
Netocrac

that bases its power on a technological advantage and networking skills, in

comparison to what is portrayed as a bourgeoisie of a gradually diminishing

importance. The netocracy concept has been compared with Richard Florida's
concept of the creative class. Bard and Sderqvist have also defined an underclass in opposition to the netocracy, which they refer to as the consumtariat.

Oligarchy

Rule by a system of governance with small group of people who share similar
interests or family relations.

Rule by the rich; a system of governance composed of the wealthy class. Any
Plutocrac

of the forms of government listed here can be plutocracy. For instance, if all of

the elected representatives in a republic are wealthy, then it is a republic and

a plutocracy.

Rule by military service; a system of governance composed of military

government in which the state and the military are traditionally
and/or constitutionally the same entity. Citizens with mandatory or voluntary
Stratocra

active military service, or who have been honorably discharged, have the right

cy

to govern. (Not to be confused with "military junta" or "military dictatorship".)

The Spartan city-state is a historical example; its social system and
constitution, were completely focused on military training and excellence.
Stratocratic ideology often attaches to the honor-oriented timocracy.

Rule by a religious elite; a system of governance composed of religious

Theocrac
y

institutions in which the state and the church are traditionally

and/or constitutionally the same entity. Citizens who are clergy have the right
to govern. The Vatican's (see Pope), the Tibetan government's (see Dalai
Lama) and Islamic states are historically considered theocracies.

Other attributes

Term

Definition

Anarchy has more than one definition. In the United States, the term "anarchy"
typically is used to refer to a society without a publicly enforced government or
violently enforced political authority.[22][23]When used in this sense, anarchy
may[24] or may not[25] be intended to imply political disorder
Anarchy

or lawlessness within a society.

Outside of the U.S., and by most individuals that self-identify as anarchists, it
implies a system of governance, mostly theoretical at a nation state level.
There are also other forms of anarchy that attempt to avoid the use of coercion,
violence, force and authority, while still producing a productive and desirable
society.[26][27]
An anocracy is a regime type where power is not vested in public institutions
(as in a normal democracy) but spread amongst elite groups who are constantly
competing with each other for power. Examples of anocracies in Africa include
the warlords of Somalia and the shared governments in Kenya and Zimbabwe.
Anocracies are situated midway between an autocracy and a democracy.[28]
The Polity IV dataset[clarification needed] recognised anocracy as a category. In that
dataset, anocracies are exactly in the middle between autocracies and

Anocrac
y

democracies.
Often the word is defined more broadly. For example a 2010 International
Alert publication defined anocracies as "countries that are neither autocratic
nor democratic, most of which are making the risky transition between
autocracy and democracy".[29] Alert noted that the number of anocracies had
increased substantially since the end of the Cold War. Anocracy is not
surprisingly the least resilient political system to short-term shocks: it creates
the promise but not yet the actuality of an inclusive and effective political
economy, and threatens members of the established elite; and is therefore very
vulnerable to disruption and armed violence.

Banana

A banana republic is a politically unstable kleptocratic government that

republic

economically depends upon the exports of a limited resource (fruits, minerals),

and usually features a society composed ofstratified social classes, such as a
great, impoverished ergatocracy and a ruling plutocracy, composed of the

aristocracy of business, politics, and the military.[30] In political science, the

term banana republic denotes a country dependent upon limited primary-sector
productions, which is ruled by a plutocracy who exploit the national economy by
means of a politico-economic oligarchy.[31] In American literature, the
term banana republic originally denoted the fictional Republic of Anchuria, a
servile dictatorship that abetted, or supported for kickbacks, the exploitation of
large-scale plantation agriculture, especially banana cultivation. [31] In U.S.
politics, the term banana republic is a pejorative political descriptor coined by
the American writer O. Henry in Cabbages and Kings (1904), a book of
thematically related short stories derived from his 189697 residence
in Honduras, where he was hiding from U.S. law for bank embezzlement.[32]
The theory and practice of Marxism-Leninism developed in China by Mao
Maoism

Zedong (Mao Tse-tung), which states that a continuous revolution is necessary if

the leaders of a communist state are to keep in touch with the people.

Republican attributes

Term

Definition

Rule by a form of government in which the people, or some significant

portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where
offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. [33][34] A common
Republic

simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of state is

not a monarch.[35][36] Montesquieu included both democracies, where all the
people have a share in rule, and aristocracies or oligarchies, where only
some of the people rule, as republican forms of government. [37]

Rule by a government whose powers are limited by law or a formal

constitution, and chosen by a vote amongst at least some sections of the
Constitution
al republic

populace (Ancient Sparta was in its own terms a republic, though most
inhabitants were disenfranchised). Republics that exclude sections of the
populace from participation will typically claim to represent all citizens (by
defining people without the vote as "non-citizens"). Examples include
the United States, South Africa, India, etc.

A republic form of government where the country is considered a "public

matter" (Latin: res publica), not a private concern or property of rulers/3rd

Democratic

world, and where offices of states are subsequently, directly or indirectly,

republic

elected or appointed rather than inherited where all eligible citizens

have an equal say in the local and national decisions that affect their lives.

A republic, like India, Singapore and Poland, with an elected head of state,
Parliamentar

but where the head of state and head of government are kept separate with

y republic

the head of government retaining most executive powers, or a head of state

akin to a head of government, elected by a parliament.

Federal
republic

A federal union of states or provinces with a republican form of government.

Examples include Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Germany, India, Russia,
and Switzerland.

Islamic

Republics governed in accordance with Islamic law. Examples

Republic

include Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran.

Countries like China and Vietnam are meant to be governed for and by the
Socialist

people, but with no direct elections. The term People's Republic is used to

republic

differentiate themselves from the earlier republic of their countries before

the people's revolution, like the Republic of China and Republic of Korea.

Federalism

Term

Definition

Federalis

Rule by a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion

of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state
are elected or chosen by elected people.[33][34] Montesquieu included
both democracies, where all the people have a share in rule,
and aristocracies or oligarchies, where only some of the people rule, as

republican forms of government.[37]

Federal
monarchy

Federal
republic

A federal monarchy is a federation of states with a single monarch as overall

head of the federation, but retaining different monarchs, or a non-monarchical
system of government, in the various states joined to the federation.

A federal union of states or provinces with a republican form of government.

Examples include Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Germany, India, Russia,
and Switzerland.

Other power structure attributes

Term

Adhocracy

Definition

Rule by a government based on relatively disorganised principles and

institutions as compared to a bureaucracy, its exact opposite.

Sometimes said to be non-governance; it is a structure which strives for

non-hierarchical voluntary associations among agents. Anarchy is a
situation where there is no government.
This can happen after a civil war in a country, when a government has
Anarchism

been destroyed and rival groups are fighting to take its place. There are
also people called anarchists. They believe that any government is a bad
thing this belief is called anarchism. Anarchists think governments stop
people organising their own lives. Instead they think people would be
better off if they ruled their own lives and worked together to create a
society in any form they choose.

Band society

Rule by a government based on small (usually family) unit with a semiinformal hierarchy, with strongest (either physical strength or strength of

character) as leader. Very much like a pack seen in other animals, such as
wolves.
Rule by a system of governance with many bureaus, administrators, and

Bureaucracy

petty officials

Chiefdom(Triba Rule by a government based on small complex society of varying degrees

l)

of centralisation that is led by an individual known as a chief.

Ruled by a data fed group of secluded individuals that regulates aspects

Cybersynacy

of public and private life using data feeds and technology having no
interactivity with the citizens but using "facts only" to decide direction.
A system of democratic government in which the ministers of the

Parliamentary
system

executive branch derive their legitimacy from and are accountable to a

legislature or parliament; the executive and legislative branches are
interconnected. It is a political system in which the supreme power lies in
a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them.
A system of government where an executive branch is led by a president

Presidential

who serves as both head of state and head of government. In such a

system

system, this branch exists separately from the legislature, to which it is

not responsible and which it cannot, in normal circumstances, dismiss.
Rule by a government under the sovereignty of rational laws and civic

Nomocracy

right as opposed to one under theocratic systems of government. In a

nomocracy, ultimate and final authority (sovereignty) exists in the law.

By socio-economic system attributes

Term

Capitalism

Definition

In a capitalist or free-market economy, people own their own businesses and

property and must buy public services for private use.

Communis

A form of socialism, a stateless, classless, moneyless society, based on

common ownership of industry.

Distributis

A form of widespread Property ownership as fundamental right; the means of

production are spread as widely as possible rather than being centralized

under the control of the state (state socialism), a few individuals (plutocracy),
or corporations (corporatocracy). Distributism fundamentally
m

opposes socialism and capitalism, which distributists view as equally flawed

and exploitative. In contrast, distributism seeks to subordinate economic
activity to human life as a whole, to our spiritual life, our intellectual life, our
family life".

A system of land ownership and duties. Under feudalism, all the land in a
kingdom was the king's. However, the king would give some of the land to the
Feudalism

lords or nobles who fought for him. These presents of land were called
manors. Then the nobles gave some of their land to vassals. The vassals then
had to do duties for the nobles. The lands of vassals were called fiefs.

In a socialist society, workers democratically through cooperatives own all

Socialism

industry, public services may be commonly or state owned, such as foodstuff,

healthcare and education.

Concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection
Welfare
state

and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based
on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth,
and public responsibility for those unable to avail themselves of the minimal
provisions for a good life.

Simplified
1. Democracy
The word "democracy" literally means "rule by the people." In a democracy, the people
govern.
2. Republic
A literal democracy is impossible in a political system containing more than a few people. All
"democracies" are really republics. In a republic, the people elect representatives to make
and enforce laws.
3. Monarchy

A monarchy consists of rule by a king or queen. Sometimes a king is called an "emperor,"

especially if there is a large empire, such as China before 1911. There are no large
monarchies today. The United Kingdom, which has a queen, is really a republic because the
queen has virtually no political power.
4. Aristocracy
An aristocracy is rule by the aristocrats. Aristocrats are typically wealthy, educated people.
Many monarchies have really been ruled by aristocrats. Today, typically, the term
"aristocracy" is used negatively to accuse a republic of being dominated by rich people, such
as saying, "The United States has become an aristocracy."
5. Dictatorship
A dictatorship consists of rule by one person or a group of people. Very few dictators admit
they are dictators; they almost always claim to be leaders of democracies. The dictator may
be one person, such as Castro in Cuba or Hitler in Germany, or a group of people, such as
the Communist Party in China.
6. Democratic Republic

Usually, a "democratic republic" is not democratic and is not a republic. A government that
officially calls itself a "democratic republic" is usually a dictatorship. Communist
dictatorships have been especially prone to use this term. For example, the official name of
North Vietnam was "The Democratic Republic of Vietnam." China uses a variant, "The
People's Republic of China."
Branches of Government
Montesquieu's tripartite system
The term tripartite system is ascribed to French Enlightenment political philosopher Baron de
Montesquieu. In The Spirit of the Laws (1748), Montesquieu described the separation of
political power among a legislature, an executive, and a judiciary. Montesquieu's approach
was to present and defend a form of government which was not excessively centralized in all
its powers to a single monarch or similar ruler. He based this model on the Constitution of
the Roman Republic and the British constitutional system. Montesquieu took the view that
the Roman Republic had powers separated so that no one could usurp complete power. In
the British constitutional system, Montesquieu discerned a separation of powers among the
monarch, Parliament, and the courts of law.
Montesquieu did actually specify that "the independence of the judiciary has to be real, and
not apparent merely". "The judiciary was generally seen as the most important of powers,
independent and unchecked", and also was considered dangerous.

Legislative (Congress)

Passes bills; has

broad taxing and spending

power; regulates inter-state
commerce; controls
the federal budget; has

Executive (President)

Judicial (Supreme Court)

Is the commander-in-
chief of the armed
forces
Executes the

Determines which laws

Congress intended to
apply to any given case
Exercises judicial

power to borrow money on

the credit of the United
States (may be vetoed by
President, but vetoes may
be overridden with a twothirds vote of both houses)

instructions of Congress.

Has sole power

to declare war, as well as to
raise, support, and regulate
the military.
Oversees, investigates,
and makes the rules for the
government and its officers.
Defines by law the
jurisdiction of the federal
judiciary in cases not

specified by the Constitution

Ratification of treaties
signed by the President and
gives advice and consent to
presidential appointments to
the judiciary, federal, and
other posts (Senate only)

Has sole power

of impeachment (House of
Representatives) and trial of
impeachments (Senate); can
remove federal executive
and judicial officers from
office for high crimes and
misdemeanors

review, reviewing the

constitutionality of laws

May veto bills

passed by Congress (but
the veto may be
overridden by a twothirds majority of both
houses)

Executes the
spending authorized by
Congress.

Declares states of
emergency and
publishes regulations
and executive orders.
Makes executive
agreements (does not
require ratification) and
signs treaties
(ratification requiring
approval by two-thirds
of the Senate)
Makes appointments
to the federal
judiciary, federal
executive departments,
and other posts with the
advice and consent of
the Senate. Has power
to make temporary
appointment during the
recess of the Senate
Has the power to
grant "reprieves and
pardons for offenses
against the United
States, except in cases
of impeachment."

Determines how
Congress meant the law to
apply to disputes
Determines how a law
acts to determine the
disposition of prisoners
Determines how a law
acts to compel testimony
and the production of
evidence
Determines how laws
should be interpreted to
assure uniform policies in
a top-down fashion via
the appeals process, but
gives discretion in
individual cases to lowlevel judges. The amount
of discretion depends
upon the standard of
review, determined by the
type of case in question.