There are several forms of stategovernment, differing in the executive, legislative system. Let us dwell on one of the forms of power of interest to historians and politicians. What is a monarchy? This word is often associated with something pretentious, lush, majestic. Let's try to identify the distinctive characteristics of this concept, consider its types, features, and also analyze its contemporary manifestations.
Definition
Before deciding on the main characteristics, forbegan to define what a monarchy is. This is one of the variants of government, which presupposes the sole control of the state. With such a political structure, all power is concentrated in the hands of the monarch. Depending on the country, such rulers have different titles:
- the king (the queen);
- shah;
- emperor.
As a distinctive feature of such a form of government, we note the transfer of power by inheritance without elections and voting.
If the ruler does not have direct heirs, laws that control succession in monarchical countries come into force.
In world history, there are many examples wherethis trend is violated. In the state, the form of government characterizes the structure of the supreme power, as well as the division of responsibility, the powers of the supreme legislative bodies.
Reasoning over what a monarchy is, we note that the ruler gains power for life, it depends on him how the state will behave in different situations.
Distinctive characteristics
There are certain signs that are inherent inthis form of government. So, what is a monarchy? This is the state in which there is a sole ruler. He uses his power from the moment he enters the throne until his death. The decisions of the monarch are not discussed, he is not legally responsible for his actions and orders.
Classification
There are various forms of monarchy:
- constitutional;
- absolute;
- representative.
In each form, common features of the monarchy are preserved, but some distinctive parameters appear.
Despotism
It assumes complete freedom of power of the ruler.He controls his subordinates with the help of force expressed in the troops or other power structures. A law established by a despot gives him unlimited opportunities and rights.
It turns out that the ruler and people close to him can do with impunity everything that they consider expedient. No negative legal consequences to them will be applied.
Specifics of despotism was mentioned in his works by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. He said that such a form of government is analogous to the master of slaves.
Absolutism
What is the specificity of such a state system?Absolute monarchy is characterized by the belonging of power to only one person. It is he who controls the executive, legislative, military, judicial areas.
Absolutism can be quite favorableoption for the rank-and-file people. As an example of a state with an absolute monarchy, we cite Luxembourg, which has the highest standard of living in the population. The same form of government exists now in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, United Arab Emirates.
A constitutional monarchy
It is characterized by the limited power of the monarch.Restrictions are established by the constitution. The constitutional monarchy does not allow the priority of the ruler in the sphere of state administration. Despite the fact that the restrictions are not specified in the law, in reality they are strictly implemented. There are several variants of constitutional monarchies:
- parliamentary;
- dualistic;
- estate-representative.
In the dualistic monarchy, the power of the ruleris limited as follows: all decisions made by him are confirmed by the Minister. In the absence of its resolution, the decisions of the monarch do not enter into legal force. As another distinctive parameter of this type of monarchy, we note the consolidation of the executive power over the ruler.
In the parliamentary form, there are also serious limitations in the authority of the ruler. In fact, he loses power, performs only a representative or ceremonial function.
He has no real opportunities, since all executive power belongs to the government, it is responsible to the parliament for its actions.
A caste-representative monarchy presupposesparticipation in the creation of laws, the management of the country by class representatives. This form also assumes significant limitations of the monarch's power, the reason is the development of commodity-money relations.
The estate monarchy was characteristic ofEuropean countries from the ХІІ to the ХІV century. Typical examples of such a form of government include the Cortes in Spain, the Parliament in England, the General States in France.
Such a monarchy in Russia was represented by the Zemsky Sobor in the XVI-XVII centuries.
Monarchical rule in our day
In addition to the countries listed above,An absolute monarchy exists in the Vatican and Brunei. But the United Arab Emirates is considered a federal state. However, in each of the seven emirates there is an absolute monarchy.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland can be mentioned as a vivid example of a parliamentary monarchy that exists at the present time. The same form of government in Holland.
The countries belonging to the constitutional monarchy are quite a lot: Belgium, Japan, Spain, Thailand, Andorra, Monaco, Morocco.
Typical examples of the dualistic monarchy are: Morocco, Jordan, Kuwait.
disadvantages
All types of political structure havecertain shortcomings. The main problem is the remoteness of the people and the ruler from each other. Isolation of the monarch negatively affects his relationship with ordinary people. He does not understand the real situation that exists in the state, therefore, can not make the right decisions. If a country is governed only in accordance with the subjective foundations of one person, this does not lead to its prosperity and development.
The monarch is a person who is characterized by bouts of self-confidence and vanity, and with the addition of impunity, the result can be terrifying for the people.
Also among the minuses of this form of government can be mentioned the transfer of the title by inheritance.
Not all heirs are able to fully manage the state, they have sufficient for this intellectual abilities, moral qualities.
For example, the power may be in the hands of mentally unbalanced person who is older in age, despite the fact that there is a wise and adequate minor heir.
Conclusion
History shows that inmonarchical form of government most often the people have a negative attitude towards the aristocracy. People who belong to the highest strata of society have intellectual differences from those who do not own material goods. Such inequality generates mutual hostility, enmity. The monarch's lifetime power can be viewed from different points of view. On the one hand, being on the throne for many years, the ruler has the opportunity to make decisions that contribute to the prosperity of the country. Realizing that it will take several decades to reign, the monarch systematically implemented certain reforms, took responsibility for the economic situation of the state.
Thanks to succession, the country wasrelatively stable position. But the hereditary power received by the sick person, doomed the state on a life under the control of the monarch who is not capable to answer for the decisions and acts.
The possession of information about what kinds of monarchy exist now in the world, contributes to a more conscious and profound study of this form of government.
