Systems of Governance

Systems of Governance

Choosing a system of governance for your world’s society (or societies) will have important ramifications, ranging from the daily life of one of your world’s inhabitants to the appearance of the currency. Below are a few potential political systems organized by either power structure or socio-economic aspects. Keep in mind that these systems may coexist with one another, such as a democratic republic, or a totalitarian technocracy.

POLITICAL POWER SYSTEMS

  • ANARCHY: No power structure exists.
  • AUTOCRACY: Total power rests in the hand of one single person or single political entity.
    • MONARCHY: A monarch, such as a king or queen, holds total power over their subjects.
    • DICTATORSHIP: A dictator holds total power.
  • OLIGARCHY: Power rests in the hands of a small group of people.
    • ARISTOCRACY: Rule of nobility. Political power rests with a small class of privileged individuals.
    • CORPORATOCRACY: Rule by corporations.
    • KRATEROCRACY: Rule by the strong. Rule is held by whoever is the strongest. Strength in these terms can mean either physical might, social force, or political maneuvering.
    • MERITOCRACY: Rule by merit.
    • NOOCRACY: Rule by the wise. The wisest members of a given collective are the ones who rule.
    • PLUTOCRACY: Rule by the wealthy. The wealthiest members of a group are the ones who make the decisions for the rest.
    • STRATOCRACY: Rule by military service. This is different than a military dictatorship. In a stratocracy, those who have served in the military are given the right to engage in political matters. The city-state of Sparta was one such example.
    • TECHNOCRACY: Rule by technological elites
    • THEOCRACY: Rule by religious elites
  • DEMOCRACY: Power rests in the hands of the people.
    • DIRECT DEMOCRACY: The people represent their own interests by directly voting on laws and policies
    • REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY: The people elect representatives who vote on laws and policies on behalf of the people.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC POLITICAL SYSTEMS

  • CAPITALISM: the means of production (tools, machines, work spaces) are privately owned and workers are employed by the owners.
  • COMMUNISM: the means of production are commonly owed either by a commune or a communist government
  • FEUDALISM: A system of land ownership whereby a monarch owned all land but would gift portions to lords and nobles that performed a service. This gifted land was termed a ‘manor,’ and could be gifted by the noble to vassals in exchange for fulfilling duties. The lands of the vassals were called fiefs.
  • REPUBLICANISM: Laws and policies are considered matters of the public and are decided on by citizens of the republic.
  • SOCIALISM: the workers control the means of production
  • TOTALITARIANISM: land and resources are controlled by a central political state entity such as in a dictatorship or a government controlled by a single political party.
  • TRIBALISM: a small society led by a chief.