5.POLITICAL REGIME (1)

1. 5.POLITICAL REGIME Political science Yerkebulan Akberdiyev Senior lecturer Multidisciplinary Education

POLITICAL REGIME IS A
FORM OF A STATE
GOVERNMENT

2. Table of content

Tasks and questions
◼ Introduction
◼ Iceland Referendum 2010
◼ Political regime – form of government
◼ Typologies of Republics
◼ Summary
◼ Reference
◼

3. POLITICAL REGIME

TASKS AND QUESTIONS:
1) What are the political regimes? Name them
2) What are the (two) factors that political scientists use to
define “political regimes”?
3)Why are authoritarian and totalitarian governments more
unstable politically, compared to democracies and
monarchies?

4. Introduction

◼
This world is comprehensive. There are hundreds of countries which are
following different kind of regimes in their policies. A political regime refers
to the form and underlying principles of governance within a political
system. It encompasses the rules, norms, and institutions that determine
how power is distributed and exercised, how decisions are made, and how
leaders are selected and held accountable.

5. A sample of Democratic Regime: Iceland Referendum 2010

6. In 2008, at the beginning of the financial crisis, Iceland (population 320 thousand, without an army), one of the richest

countries in the world.
literally went bankrupt.
President O. Grimsson refused to ratify a law that would make Icelandic citizens
responsible for the debts of Icelandic bankers and agreed to call a referendum.
But the Icelanders did not stop there: they decided to adopt a new constitution
that would free the country from the power of international finance / To write a
new constitution, the people of Iceland elected 25 citizens from among 522
adults who did not belong to any political party, who were recommended by at
least 30 citizens.
This document was not the work of a handful of politicians but was written on
the Internet. The constituent meetings were held online, and citizens could write
their comments and make suggestions, watching with their own eyes as their
constitution gradually took shape.

7. POLITICAL REGIME

A political regime is a set of rules, procedures, and
understandings which govern relations between
the state and society in a particular country.
Main types of modern world political regimes are
commonly referred to:
democratic,
totalitarian,
authoritarian,
monarchical, oligarchic, hybrid and, etc.
The type of government under which people live
has fundamental implications for their freedom,
their welfare, and even their lives.

8. POLITICAL REGIME – FORM OF GOVERNMENT

Governments are organisations of individuals
who are legally empowered to make binding
decisions on behalf of a particular community.
◼ In
politics, a regime is the form of
government that regulate the operation of a
government or institution and its interactions
with society.
◼ First of all, we need to define two types of
governments – monarchy and republic
◼

9. Modern Governments Typologies of Republics

◼
Relationship between state and society (regimes)
❑
❑
❑
❑
◼
Relationship between the executive and legislative powers of
government
❑
❑
◼
Democratic
Totalitarian
Authoritarian
Monarchical
Parliamentary
Presidential
Degree of centralisation or decentralisation
❑
❑
❑
Unitary state
Federalism
Confederation

10. POLITICAL REGIME

Political scientists refer to regimes using many different
terms. Which term political scientists use often depends on
two factors:
- the number of people with political power and
- the amount of power the government itself exerts.
For example, some scholars offer seven typologies of
authoritarian regimes: dominant party regimes, military
regime, personalist regimes, monarchies, oligarchic
regimes, indirect military regimes, or hybrids of the first
three

11.

◼ Personalist dictatorships are regimes in
which all of the power lies in the hands of a
single individual. They differ from other forms
of dictatorships in that the dictator has
greater access to key political positions and
the government's treasury, and they are more
commonly subject to the discretion of the
dictator.

12. POLITICAL REGIME

13. POLITICAL REGIME

A wide variety of regime types exist.
◼ For example, the United Kingdom has a constitutional
monarchy, in which Queen Elizabeth holds a limited
amount of power.
◼ Theoretically, the queen is the English head of state, but
over time the English monarchy has become largely
ceremonial.
◼ Real governmental power now rests with the
Parliament, the legislative, lawmaking body.
◼ Great Britain is a democratic regime
◼

14. POLITICAL REGIME

In contrast, the Third Reich of World War II was
a totalitarian dictatorship.
◼ Though Adolf Hitler came to the power from a
political party, he controlled the government and
the citizens of Nazi Germany.
◼ It was a fascist political regime or dictatorship.
◼ In North Korea currently is also the dictatorship,
though Kim Jong Un is supposing a Chairman of
Communist party
◼

15. POLITICAL REGIME

The power in an oligarchy is held by a small, elite
group. Unlike in a monarchy, members of an oligarchy
do not necessarily achieve their statuses based on ties
to noble ancestry.
◼ Rather, they may ascend to positions of power because
of military might, economic power, or similar
circumstances.
◼ The concept of oligarchy is somewhat elusive; rarely
does a society openly define itself as an oligarchy.
◼ Many modern nations that claim to be democracies
are really oligarchies.
◼

16. POLITICAL REGIME

Authoritarianism and totalitarianism are general
terms for nondemocratic political systems ruled by an
individual or a group of individuals who are not freely
elected by their populations and who often exercise
arbitrary power.
◼ To be more specific, authoritarianism refers to political
systems in which an individual or a group of individuals
holds power, restricts or prohibits popular
participation in governance, and represses dissent.
◼

17. POLITICAL REGIME

Totalitarianism refers to political systems that include
all the features of authoritarianism but are even
more repressive as they try to regulate and control all
aspects of citizens’ lives and fortunes.
◼ People can be imprisoned for deviating from acceptable
practices or may even be killed if they dissent in the
mildest of ways.
◼ Compared to democracies and monarchies, authoritarian
and totalitarian governments are more unstable
politically. The major reason for this is that these
governments enjoy no legitimate authority.
◼

18. POLITICAL REGIME

◼
◼
In fact, some prominent journalists, such
as Paul Krugman, who won a Nobele
laureate prize in economics, have
labeled the United States an oligarchy,
pointing to the influence of large
corporations and Wall Street executives
on U.S. policy.
Other political analysts assert that all
democracies are really just “elected
oligarchies,” or systems in which citizens
must vote for an individual who is part of
a pool of candidates who come from the
society’s elite ruling class

19. POLITICAL REGIME

◼
◼
◼
◼
Representative democracy is more practical than direct
democracy in a society of any significant size (see a sample of
direct democracy in Iceland) .
At least in theory, it ensures that the individuals who govern a
society are the individuals who have the appropriate talents, skills,
and knowledge to do so.
Representative democracy thus allows for “the cream to rise to
the top” so that the people who actually govern a society are the
most qualified to perform this essential task.
But elected officials may also be unduly influenced by campaign
contributions from corporations and other special-interest groups

20. Summary

◼
Understanding political regimes is crucial for analyzing how different
societies organize their governance, distribute power, and address public
issues. By studying the characteristics and functions of various regimes, we
gain insight into the diversity of political life and the factors that influence
stability, development, and citizen well-being. This knowledge is
fundamental for evaluating governance practices and promoting effective
and just political systems.

21. POLITICAL REGIME

SOURCES:
◼ https://pressbooks.howardcc.edu/soci101/chapter/14
-2-types-of-political-systems/
◼

22. Thank you!