political system

Introduction
Typologies of government
- Supranational political systems
  - Empires
  - Leagues
  - Confederations and federations
  - The United Nations organization
- National political systems
  - Unitary nation-states
  - Federal systems
- Subnational political systems
  - Tribal communities
  - Rural communities
  - Cities
  - Regions
- Issues of classification
  - Types of classification schemes
  - Modern classifying systems
- Governments classified by mode of succession
  - Hereditary succession
  - Succession by constitutional prescription
  - Succession by election
  - Succession by force
  - Autocratic versus nonautocratic rule
- Governments classified by stage of development
  - Analyzing political change
  - Emergence of advanced nation-states
The structure of government
- Contemporary forms of government
  - Monarchy
  - Dictatorship
  - Oligarchy
  - Constitutional government
- Contemporary levels of government
  - National government
  - Regional and state government
  - City and local government
- Contemporary divisions of government
  - The legislature
  - The executive
  - The judiciary
The functions of government
- The tasks
  - Self-preservation
  - Supervision and resolution of conflicts
  - Regulation of the economy
  - Protection of political and social rights
  - Provision of goods and services
- Public administration
Development and change in political systems
- Causes of stability and instability
  - Unstable political systems
  - Stable political systems
- Types of political change
  - Radical revolution
  - Structural revision
  - Change of leaders
  - Change of policies

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Delegates in formal attire seated closely together at an international League of Nations conference, circa 1930.

Flag of the European Union

Flag of NATO featuring a white compass rose emblem with four lines radiating from the center on a blue background.

Detail from School of Athens by Raphael

Portrait of Niccolo Machiavelli by Santi di Tito shows Machiavelli in black and red robes, holding a document, against a plain background.

Twenty-fifth Amendment

Twenty-fifth Amendment

Prince Philippe, Queen Paola, King Albert II, and Princess Mathilde of Belgium sit together on a bench outdoors at Laeken Castle, smiling for a formal photo.

Related Questions

Delegates in formal attire seated closely together at an international League of Nations conference, circa 1930. — League of Nations Delegates attending a League of Nations meeting, c. 1930.

political system

political science

Written by

D. Alan Heslop

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

political system, the set of formal legal institutions that constitute a “government” or a “state.” This is the definition adopted by many studies of the legal or constitutional arrangements of advanced political orders. More broadly defined, however, the term comprehends actual as well as prescribed forms of political behaviour, not only the legal organization of the state but also the reality of how the state functions. Still more broadly defined, the political system is seen...

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