List of countries by system of government

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This is a list of countries categorized by system of government.

[edit] Alphabetical list of countries

Name	Constitutional form	Head of state	Basis of executive legitimacy
Afghanistan	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Albania	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Algeria	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Andorra	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Angola	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Antigua and Barbuda	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Argentina	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Armenia	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Australia	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Austria	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Azerbaijan	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Bahamas	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Bahrain	Constitutional monarchy	Executive	Monarch personally exercises power in concert with other institutions
Bangladesh	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Barbados	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Belarus	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Belgium	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Belize	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Benin	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Bhutan	Constitutional monarchy	Executive	Monarch personally exercises power in concert with other institutions
Bolivia	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Botswana	Republic	Executive	Presidency and ministry are subject to parliamentary confidence
Brazil	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Brunei	Absolute monarchy	Executive	All authority vested in absolute monarch
Bulgaria	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Burkina Faso	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Burundi	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Cambodia	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Cameroon	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Canada	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Cape Verde	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Central African Republic	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Chad	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Chile	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
China, People's Republic of	Republic	Executive	Power constitutionally linked to a single political movement
China, Republic of	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Colombia	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Comoros	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Congo, Democratic Republic of the	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Congo, Republic of the	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Costa Rica	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Côte d'Ivoire	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Croatia	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Cuba	Republic	Executive	Power constitutionally linked to a single political movement
Cyprus	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Czech Republic	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Denmark	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Djibouti	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Dominica	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Dominican Republic	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
East Timor	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Ecuador	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Egypt	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
El Salvador	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Equatorial Guinea	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Eritrea	Republic	Executive	Power constitutionally linked to a single political movement
Estonia	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Ethiopia	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Fiji	n/a	n/a	n/a    No constitutionally-defined basis to current regime
Finland	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
France	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Gabon	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Gambia	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Georgia	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Germany	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Ghana	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Greece	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Grenada	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Guatemala	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Guinea	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Guinea-Bissau	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Guyana	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Haiti	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Honduras	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Hungary	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Iceland	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
India	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Indonesia	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Iran	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Iraq	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Ireland	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Israel	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Italy	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Jamaica	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Japan	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Jordan	Constitutional monarchy	Executive	Monarch personally exercises power in concert with other institutions
Kazakhstan	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Kenya	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Kiribati	Republic	Executive	Presidency and ministry are subject to parliamentary confidence
Korea, North	Republic	Executive	Power constitutionally linked to a single political movement
Korea, South	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Kosovo	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Kuwait	Constitutional monarchy	Executive	Monarch personally exercises power in concert with other institutions
Kyrgyzstan	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Laos	Republic	Executive	Power constitutionally linked to a single political movement
Latvia	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Lebanon	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Lesotho	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Liberia	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Libya	Republic	Executive	Power constitutionally linked to a single political movement
Liechtenstein	Constitutional monarchy	Executive	Monarch personally exercises power in concert with other institutions
Lithuania	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Luxembourg	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Macedonia	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Madagascar	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Malawi	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Malaysia	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Maldives	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Mali	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Malta	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Marshall Islands	Republic	Executive	Presidency and ministry are subject to parliamentary confidence
Mauritania	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Mauritius	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Mexico	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Micronesia	Republic	Executive	Presidency and ministry are subject to parliamentary confidence
Moldova	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Monaco	Constitutional monarchy	Executive	Monarch personally exercises power in concert with other institutions
Mongolia	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Montenegro	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Morocco	Constitutional monarchy	Executive	Monarch personally exercises power in concert with other institutions
Mozambique	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Myanmar	n/a	n/a	n/a    No constitutionally-defined basis to current regime
Namibia	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Nauru	Republic	Executive	Presidency and ministry are subject to parliamentary confidence
Nepal	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Netherlands	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
New Zealand	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Nicaragua	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Niger	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Nigeria	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Norway	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Oman	Absolute monarchy	Executive	All authority vested in absolute monarch
Pakistan	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Palau	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Panama	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Papua New Guinea	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Paraguay	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Peru	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Philippines	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Poland	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Portugal	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Qatar	Absolute monarchy	Executive	All authority vested in absolute monarch
Romania	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Russia	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Rwanda	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Saint Kitts and Nevis	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Saint Lucia	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Samoa	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
San Marino	Republic	Executive	Presidency and ministry are subject to parliamentary confidence
São Tomé and Príncipe	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Saudi Arabia	Absolute monarchy	Executive	All authority vested in absolute monarch
Senegal	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Serbia	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Seychelles	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Sierra Leone	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Singapore	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Slovakia	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Slovenia	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Solomon Islands	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Somalia	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
South Africa	Republic	Executive	Presidency and ministry are subject to parliamentary confidence
Spain	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Sri Lanka	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
Sudan	Republic	Executive	Power constitutionally linked to a single political movement
Suriname	Republic	Executive	Presidency and ministry are subject to parliamentary confidence
Swaziland	Absolute monarchy	Executive	All authority vested in absolute monarch
Sweden	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Switzerland	Republic	Executive	Presidency and ministry are subject to parliamentary confidence
Syria	Republic	Executive	Power constitutionally linked to a single political movement
Tajikistan	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Tanzania	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Thailand	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Togo	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Tonga	Constitutional monarchy	Executive	Monarch personally exercises power in concert with other institutions
Trinidad and Tobago	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Tunisia	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Turkey	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Turkmenistan	Republic	Executive	Power constitutionally linked to a single political movement
Tuvalu	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Uganda	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Ukraine	Republic	Executive	Presidency independent of legislature; ministry subject to parliamentary confidence
United Arab Emirates	Constitutional monarchy	Executive	Monarch personally exercises power in concert with other institutions
United Kingdom	Constitutional monarchy	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
United States	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Uruguay	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Uzbekistan	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Vanuatu	Republic	Ceremonial	Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Vatican City	Absolute monarchy	Executive	All authority vested in absolute monarch
Venezuela	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Vietnam	Republic	Executive	Power constitutionally linked to a single political movement
Yemen	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Zambia	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature
Zimbabwe	Republic	Executive	Presidency is independent of legislature

Notes on color-code

• orange - parliamentary republics
• green - presidential republics, executive presidency linked to a parliament
• yellow - presidential republics, semi-presidential system
• blue - presidential republics, full presidential system
• red - parliamentary constitutional monarchies in which the monarch does not personally exercise power
• magenta - constitutional monarchies in which the monarch personally exercises power, often (but not always) alongside a weak parliament
• purple - absolute monarchies
• brown - republics where the dominant role of a single party is codified in the constitution
• beige - states where constitutional provisions for government have been suspended
• grey - countries which do not fit any of the above systems

Note that several states constitutionally deemed to be multiparty republics are broadly described by outsiders as authoritarian states. This chart aims to represent de jure form of government, not de facto degree of democracy. Those more interested in a version reflecting such judgements may be interested in seeing the map below from Freedom House.

Forms of government of states considered to be electoral democracies by Freedom House. States not considered to be electoral democracies are in gray.

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[edit] Systems of Governance

[edit] Presidential / Separated republics

These are systems in which a president is the active head of the executive branch of government and is elected and remains in office independently of the legislature. The following list includes democratic and non-democratic states:

[edit] Full presidential systems

In full presidential systems, the president is both head of state and head of government. There is generally no prime minister, although if one exists he or she serves purely at the pleasure of the president.

[edit] Semi-presidential systems

In semi-presidential systems, there is usually both a president and a prime minister. In such systems, the President has genuine executive authority, unlike in a parliamentary republic, but some of the role of a head of government is exercised by the prime minister, who is also leader of the legislature.

[edit] Parliamentary republics

A parliamentary republic is a system in which a prime minister is the active head of the executive branch of government and also leader of the legislature. The president's degree of executive power may range from being reasonably significant (eg. Poland) to little or none at all (eg. Ireland). Where the president holds little executive power, their function is primarily that of a symbolic figurehead.