A political system is a system of politics and government. It is usually compared to the law system, economic system, cultural system, and other social systems. It is different from them, and can be generally defined on a spectrum from left, i.e. communism, to the right, i.e. fascism. However, this is a very simplified view of a much more complex system of categories involving i.e. the view on who will have the authority, the view of religious questions and the government's influence on its people and economy.

Overview

There are several definitions of "political system":

• A political system is a complete set of institutions, interest groups (such as political parties, trade unions, lobby groups), the relationships between those institutions and the political norms and rules that govern their functions (constitution, election law).
• A political system is composed of the members of a social organization (group) who are in power.
• A political system is a system that necessarily has two properties: a set of interdependent components and boundaries toward the environment with which it interacts.
• A political system is a concept in which theoretically regarded as a way of the government makes a policy and also to make them more organized in their administration.
• A political system is one that ensures the maintaining of order and sanity in the society and at the same time makes it possible for some other institutions to also have their grievances and complaints put across in the course of social existence.

Commonalities between political systems:

• Interdependent parts
  • Citizens
  • Government
• Boundaries
  • Citizenship
  • Territory
  • Property

Basic forms of political systems

The following are examples of political systems, some of which are typically mutually exclusive (eg Monarchy and Republic), while others may (or may not) overlap in various combinations (eg Democracy and Westminster system, Democracy and Socialism).

• Anarchism
• Democracy
• Monarchy. Monarchies are one of the oldest political systems known, developing from tribal structure with one person the absolute ruler.
• Republic. The first recorded Republic was in India in the 6th century BCE.
• Socialism. Degrees of socialism have been present in political systems since antiquity, the modern socialist movement largely originated in the late-19th century and spawned communism and democratic socialism.
• Sultanates. Islamic political structure which combines aspects of Monarchy and Theocracy.
• Theocracy
• Westminster system
• Feudalism

Anthropological forms of political systems

Anthropologists generally recognize four kinds of political systems, two of which are uncentralized and two of which are centralized. ^[1]

• Uncentralized systems
  • Band
  • Tribe
• Centralized systems
  • Chiefdom
  • State
  • City States

See also

• Form of government, a related but separate concept
• List of forms of government
• Voting system

Notes

References

• Almond, Gabriel A., et al. Comparative Politics Today: A World View (Seventh Edition). 2000. ISBN 0316034975

External links

• Political Systems debate guide
• For further resources on political theory and the mechanics of political system design, see the Governance and Social Development Resource Centre's topic guide on political systems

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