For the majority of civilization, power has been in the hands of the elite, those born into aristocracy. In fact, up until the 19th century, monarchies made up the vast majority of systems of government throughout the world (Hurst). Distinguished by the rule of a royal family from one generation to the next, a monarchy is characterized by a sovereign leader who then passes on his or her power down the blood line (Types of Governments). As time progressed, citizens of countries ruled by a monarchy wanted a stronger voice in politics, which led to the formation of new systems of government. Though the monarchy is not the most widely practiced form of government in the 21st century, it still offers aspects that no other form of government can such as efficiency, cost effectiveness, and less opportunity for corruption.
In a monarchy, one person rules over everything and everyone as king or queen; no one has the authority to overrule the monarch (Types of Governments). Unlike the
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system of democracy which has multiple checks and balances that cause inefficiency and delays in policy and implementation, a monarchy offers swift execution, with no opposition to prolong the enacting of policies. This is the most efficient form of government due to the fact that debates, vetoes, and resistance are nonexistent. The autonomy of the monarch allows for the country to operate productively. The infinitesimal size of the government not only boasts speed, but also proves to be cost effective. Under the newest President of the United States, Barack Obama, the United States of America has consistently spent 3.8 trillion dollars on running the government (Funding Government by the Minute), where as the monarchy in the United Kingdom operates on just over 55 million dollars a year (THE SOVEREIGN GRANT AND SOVEREIGN GRANT RESERVE).
To put those expenditures in better comparison, the U.S spends 434 million dollars an hour, almost eight times what the United Kingdom spends in an entire year (Funding Government by the Minute). To be fair, the population of the United States is five times larger than that of the United Kingdom; however, the United States’ expenditures are 8,755 times greater. Clearly, the system of democracy is significantly more expensive than a monarchy. Given the ever growing concern with money and the economy, monarchy puts far less of a strain on the financial side of government compared to other systems like democracy. The chance for corruption is also much
less. Unlike every other form of government, the power does not shift to another party or leader under a monarchy; when one ruler leaves the throne, the heir takes his or her place and continues his or her predecessor’s agenda (Types of Governments). While the new monarch may make subtle adjustments to improve the country, the fundamental aspects will remain the same. Because power remains within the family, there is little chance for corruption. The monarch is not in danger of losing power, so there is no reason to accept bribes or monies (Advantages and Disadvantages of Monarchy). Though only a handful of countries still operate under a monarchy, it is not short on benefits. The small size of the government allows for quick and efficient action. In terms of finances, monarchies are cost effective and are significantly cheaper than larger forms of government, like democracy. Corruption is also kept to a minimum because power stays within the family when the monarch changes. The monarchy is an effective system of government that has multiple benefits.
In today’s world, there are several types of governments that control their countries. There are democracies, dictatorships, republics, monarchies etc. Absolute monarchy was a very common form of government centuries ago. Throughout this time period, many leaders, dictators, monarchs made mistakes that the government looks at today. The abuse and misuse of power by absolute monarchs inexorably led to the rise of modern democracy. This is shown through leaders abusing their powers as absolute monarchs, the unreliability of monarchy, and corrupt governments.
Firstly it’s important to understand the meaning of a monarchy. A monarchy is a supreme power or sovereignty held by a single person. Ancient Greece at the time rarely had monarchies and if they did it was in the form of a tyranny where the ruler would have little interest in the people. Spartan was known for it’s two king rule and monarchies did exist but they shared power with the states and two of the famous ones are of Macedonia and Epeiros. Not all monarchs had absolute power especially at the times when in war which was led by Spartan army. Spartan Kings could be put on
Absolute Monarchy was a major form of government in Europe during the Renaissance. The monarch of that country controlled every aspect of their country and acts as the undisputed head of state. Whether economic, social, religious, or domestic the monarch had his say in every matter in their country. While except in places like the Middle East and Africa, absolute monarchs have ceased to exist, their policies and actions are used in the governments of today.
The government within the monarchical society was populated by the aristocracy. It was they who were depended upon for directing the course of governmental affairs. The controls of all co...
"THE RELIGION OF THE QUEEN - TIME FOR CHANGE." University of Queensland Law Journa (2011): n. pag. Web.The British monarchy is a system of government in which a traditional monarch is the sovereign of the United Kingdom out of the country territories, and holds the constitutional position of head of state. According to the article, the Queen's powers are exercised upon the suggestion of her prime minister. Moreover, she firmly reserves powers which she may exercise at her own discretion. The Queen has many theoretical personal advantages and disadvantages. One disadvantages was that UK prohibits her from get married with a catholic member either being a roman catholic. However, with the exception of the appointment of the major minister, which is done with every prime minister, there are few positions in modern British government where these could be justifiably exercised; they have rarely been exercised in the last century. These powers could be exercised in an emergency such as a constitutional
The government of Australia is Constitutional Monarchy and a Federal Parliamentary. According to the Australian Government website, they call it a Constitutional Monarchy because the country was established with a constitution and the Head of State was Queen Victoria (Irving). Queen Victoria was the Queen of England at the time. They also call it a Federal Parliamentary because their Constitution was the birth of their nation and it created a federal system of government (Irving). When a government is deemed a Parliamentary it has a Parliament and means that they elect a Prime Minister.
In this context, an absolute monarch would be revolve around a single leader (usually a king) that would make decisions without the assistance of the aristocracy, such as a the nobility, the parliament, or other organizations that include the interest of wealthy families or government officials. In this case, the king would act alone in deciding the political, economic, and military decisions of the people, which would illustrate the absolute power that is wielded by the individual making the decisions. This governmental interpretation of the term “absolute” defines how a king would rule without the interference or inhibitions of an aristocracy or democratic form of government. Of course, the realization of this type o government can be better explained through the context of the absolute monarchy in France, which was founded in the leadership of king Louis
Aristotle points out that throughout the process the type of governing was always monarchical from the household all the way up to the polis. The polis though is not a monarchy or oligarchy because of the natural maturi...
Absolute monarchies were an effective form of government during the 15 th and 16 th centuries. Even through this form of government was restrictive, it really did help move countries in the direction they needed to go. Absolutism does not give people a say in their government, but Absolute Monarchies were useful when fighting for new territory, unifying people in the territories that were conquered and ultimately spurring the people to demand a democratic system of government. During the 15t h and 16 th centuries it was important for kings to gain new territories to grow their empires.
The means of gaining and maintaining power has been a topic widely debated throughout history, yet there is no definitive answer to how a ruler gains and maintains power. Debates about who makes the best leader have continued from the beginning of time and are even extremely relevant in today's world. Gaining and maintaining power requires more than just one magic word, but hard work, and the continued support of the people. Throughout many examples, it can be proven that rulers gain power through the support of the people. To gain the support of the population, one should prove that they have the best ideas, show that they are the most qualified, and display that they represent the people.
Surely, with unrestrained power, the monarch would likely rule without accountability and therefore only in their self-interest? However, I don't think this poses a problem. To address accountability, the monarch would still have to answer to the people – after all, who pays their wages? A country in shambles would have the monarch to blame, and they may be faced with dissent. After all, what happened to Marie Antoinette, or even King John himself?
This week’s written assignment is to compare and contrast monarchy, aristocracy, tyranny, oligarchy, and democracy as forms of government in Ancient Greek city-states. I will address each form of government, providing examples of each and will include applicable comparisons and/or contrasts.
On the other hand, in an absolute monarchy once someone is an absolute leader then the following rulers inherit their power through bloodline. Since both absolute leaders and dictatorships have absolute power the ruler can do anything they want without anyone telling them otherwise, their power can lead to problems in their country or nation. However, these types of governments can also be beneficial. For example, although absolute power may can trouble at times, it can also make the government more efficient since only one person has the power to decide what is best for the country. An absolute monarchy can also be advantageous, because the way power is inherited makes the transfer of power
Constitutional monarchy can be described as a form of government in which a monarch acts as the head of state but functions within the parameters or guidelines of a written and/or unwritten constitution. Although the government may function officially in the monarch’s name, the monarch does not set public policies or choose the political leaders. Constitutional monarchy therefore differs from absolute monarchy where the monarch controls political decision making without being restricted by constitutional constraints. Consequently, a constitutional monarch has often been defined as a sovereign who reigns but does not rule. Constitutional monarchies have also been called limited monarchies, crowned republics or parliamentary monarchies.
In addition, the monarchy’s existence bears the idea of hierarchy, which is against the idea of a democratic country. In the modern world we are living, people always look for equality, freedom, accountability and transparency, there is no room for privilege and no lifetime supreme head. Without doubt, monarchism is against the belief for a democratic country, where society classes are balanced and all civilians can exercise their power themselves. To reform democratism, the monarchy must be got rid