Monarchy
- Rule by a king
- Generally made up kingdoms
- Examples: France, England, Spain, Hungary, Axum, Israel
- Another example: Athens' earliest form of government (before they created Democracy)
Aristocracy
- Rule by the rich landowning elites
- Example: early Athens (after Monarchy, but before they created Democracy)
Tyranny
- Rule by tyrants
- Example: early Athens (after Monarchy and Aristocracy, but before they created Democracy)
- Notable tyrants:
- Draco: Athenian tyrant who created harsh laws in the city-state of Athens
- Solon: Athenian tyrant who created reforms to ensure fairness and justice to many Athenians
Direct Democracy
- Rule by the people
- Originated in Athens, Greece
- In Athenian democracy, all male citizens participated and passed laws
- Democratic principles in Athens
- Direct democracy
- Public debate
- Duties of the citizen
- Citizens had the right to take initiative in matters of government
- Court system focused on the rights of the citizens
- An assembly voted on legislation (laws) and important decisions
Republic (Representative Democracy)
- People choose the officials who govern for them
- Found in Rome (during the Roman Republic)
- Parts of the Roman Republic
- Senate
- Only patricians (upper class) could be in the Roman Senate
- Gave advice to the consuls and controlled finances (money)
- Consul
- Highest elected position in the Roman government
- Top magistrates of Rome
- Held power over all citizens and officials
- Assembly
- Made up of plebeians (lower class)
- Involved in lawmaking decisions and represented the common people
- Senate
Oligarchy
- Rule by a small group of people
- Example: Sparta
Theocracy
- Power rests in the hands of religious leaders
- Combined political power and religion
- The Egyptian Pharaoh ruled Egypt as a Theocracy
Imperial Bureaucracy
- Empire divided into provinces and ruled in pieces
- Every province of the empire had a governor
- Every province of the empire had a secretary and a military official representing the king who would make sure the governors were doing their jobs
- The Persian Empire was ruled under an Imperial Bureaucracy