Malcolm Rivera
A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is the head of state, usually for life or until abdication. The extent of the monarch's authority varies from restricted and largely symbolic to fully autocratic. Most modern monarchies are constitutional monarchies, where the monarch's power is subject to a constitution and they retain a unique legal and ceremonial role but exercise limited or no political power. The succession of monarchs has mostly been hereditary, with the position passing from parents to their heir. However, monarchies can also be elective and self-proclaimed. While republics have replaced many monarchies, as of 2024, 43 sovereign nations have a monarch, including 15 Commonwealth realms that share King Charles III as their head of state.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of government | A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is the head of state for life or until abdication. |
| Sovereignty | The monarchy is based on the sovereignty of a single ruler. |
| Power | The extent of the monarch's power varies from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutional monarchy) to fully autocratic (absolute monarchy). |
| Hereditary | The succession of monarchs is mostly hereditary, often building dynasties. However, monarchies can also be elective and self-proclaimed. |
| Political power | In a constitutional monarchy, the monarch's power is subject to a constitution and they have limited or no political power. In an absolute monarchy, the monarch has absolute power. |
| Role | The monarch may have representational, executive, legislative, and judicial functions. |
| Number of nations | 43 nations in the world have a monarchy. |
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What You'll Learn
Constitutional monarchy
A constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as a head of state for life or until abdication, but their power is subject to a constitution. It is also known as a limited monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy. In a constitutional monarchy, the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and shares power with a constitutionally organized government. This is in contrast to an absolute monarchy, where the monarch holds all the power to govern their people and makes decisions alone.
The role of a constitutional monarchy is to have a head of state and a head of government that is governed by the constitution of the country. The monarch may be the de facto head of state or a purely ceremonial leader. The constitution allocates the rest of the government's power to the legislature and judiciary. The real power in a constitutional monarchy lies with the legislative body, which makes the laws that the head of state is expected to proclaim and follow. While the head of state may have the power to make political decisions, a ceremonial leader does not.
The distribution of power in a constitutional monarchy can vary, but it is typically dispersed across the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The executive branch is normally overseen by the prime minister, while the legislative branch includes bodies such as Parliament. The monarch's most important role is often serving as a symbol for the nation, representing centuries of an unbroken hereditary line of succession. While the monarch may hold formal authority and the government may operate in their name, they typically do not personally set public policy or choose political leaders.
Constitutional monarchies can differ in the level of power granted to the sovereign by the constitution. In countries like Liechtenstein, Monaco, and Morocco, the constitution grants substantial discretionary powers to the sovereign. In contrast, in countries like the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Japan, the monarch retains significantly less personal discretion in exercising their authority. Some constitutional monarchies, like Malaysia and Cambodia, are elective monarchies, where the ruler is periodically selected by a small electoral college.
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Absolute monarchy
Absolute monarchies today include Brunei, Eswatini, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Vatican City.
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Elective monarchy
Historically, many kingdoms were officially elective, with candidates usually being from the deceased monarch's family. However, over time, most elected monarchies introduced hereditary succession, keeping the title and office within the royal family. For example, in Anglo-Saxon England, John of England was chosen as King by a council of nobles and royal advisors when his brother, Richard I, died in 1199, as the heir, Arthur of Brittany, was a child. This is an example of a quasi-elective monarchy, where there are both hereditary and elective elements.
In ancient times, the kings of Macedon and Epirus were elected by the army, similar to the Ecclesia of the Demos, the assembly of all free Athenian citizens. In the ancient Roman Kingdom, kings were elected by the Roman assemblies, and an interrex was appointed by the senate to oversee the election of a new king. The Holy Roman Empire also had an elective monarchy, where certain select nobles could choose any man of nobility to take the crown.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dutch Republic had the office of the Stadtholder, which was elective and had powers similar to a monarch. Each of the seven Dutch provinces could elect their own Stadtholder, and they did not have to be the same person. In theory, anyone could be elected, but in practice, it was restricted to members of the House of Orange.
Even today, there are some elective monarchies, such as Malaysia, where the ruler is selected by a small electoral college. There are also some rotational monarchies, like the one in Malaysia, where five local royal houses take turns ruling for five years.
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Hereditary monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government where a single person, the monarch, acts as the head of state and holds supreme authority. The monarch can either be an autocrat with absolute power or a figurehead with limited or no political power, depending on the type of monarchy. The two main types of monarchy are absolute monarchy and constitutional monarchy. In an absolute monarchy, the monarch has complete control over the state and government, while in a constitutional monarchy, the monarch's power is subject to a constitution and may be mostly ceremonial.
In a hereditary monarchy, the succession of power is typically passed down through the generations within a royal family, often referred to as a dynasty. The position of monarch is usually passed to the eldest child or another close relative if there is no qualified child. The order of succession is often predefined and enshrined in legislation to avoid disputes within the royal family and ensure a smooth transition of power.
While elective monarchies, where the monarch is chosen through an election process, are quite rare, they can sometimes function as de facto hereditary monarchies. For example, in some elective monarchies, eligibility may be limited to members of the ruling house, allowing for a form of indirect hereditary succession.
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Semi-constitutional monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government where a single person, the monarch, acts as the head of state, usually for life or until abdication. The monarch's power may vary from restricted and symbolic to fully autocratic. Most modern monarchies are constitutional monarchies, where the monarch has a unique legal and ceremonial role but little to no political power.
A semi-constitutional monarchy, also known as an executive monarchy, is a form of constitutional monarchy where the monarch retains substantial powers, similar to those of a president in a semi-presidential system. In these systems, the monarch wields significant, though not absolute, power and is a powerful political and social institution. While the monarch is not the sole decision-maker, they share and exercise authority in accordance with a constitution.
The term semi-constitutional monarchy is often used to describe systems where the monarch has a similar position to a president in a semi-presidential system. In such cases, executive powers are typically shared between the head of state and a prime minister, who is responsible to parliament. While the head of state may not be popularly elected, they possess important powers in the executive sphere.
Examples of countries that have been described as semi-constitutional monarchies include Vietnam from 1949 to 1955, with Emperor Bảo Đại as its head of state, and Yugoslavia from 1918 to 1929 and 1931 to 1945.
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Frequently asked questions
A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is the head of state and reigns for life or until abdication. The monarch may be an emperor, king, queen, prince, or grand duke.
In an absolute monarchy, the monarch is the only decision-maker and has full political power. In a constitutional monarchy, the monarch's power is subject to a constitution and is limited. The monarch shares power with a constitutionally organized government and acts as a symbolic head of state.
The succession of monarchs has mostly been hereditary, with power being passed down from parents to their heirs. However, there are also elective monarchies, where the ruler is periodically selected by a small electoral college, and self-proclaimed monarchies.
The powers of a monarch vary depending on the type of monarchy and the specific country. In constitutional monarchies, the monarch's powers are limited and mainly ceremonial or representative. They may include granting pardons and honours, dismissing the prime minister, refusing to dissolve parliament, and vetoing legislation. In absolute monarchies, the monarch has full political power and can make and pass legislation.
