Forms of Government

FORMS OF GOVERNMENT

Each of the following words indicates a type of government by a certain kind of person or institution. Etymologically-minded folks should note the difference between the suffix 'archy, meaning rulership, and 'cracy. meaning power, which both come from Greek roots.

ACRACY - government by none; anarchy

ALBOCRACY — government by white people

 ANDROCRACY — government by men

ANTARCHY — opposition to government; anarchy

ARGENTOCRACY — government by money

ARISTARCHY — government by the best

ARISTOCRACY — government by the nobility

ARITHMOCRACY — government by simple majority

AUTARCHY -- government by an absolute ruler

AUTOCRACY — government by one individual

BUREAUCRACY — government by civil servants

CHIROCRACY — government by physical force

COSMARCHY — rulership over the entire world, esp. by the devil

DEMARCHY -- government by the people; popular government

DEMOCRACY — government by the people

ENDARCHY — centralised government

EXARCHY- government by bishops

GERONTOCRACY — government by the aged

GYNARCHY — government by women; gynocracy

HAGIOCRACY — government by holy men

HIERARCHY — government by a ranked body; government by priests

IATRARCHY — government by physicians

IDIOCRACY — personal rule; self-rule

KAKISTOCRACY — government by the worst

KRITARCHY — government by judges

MATRIARCHY — government by women or mothers

MERITOCRACY — government by the meritorious

MESOCRACY — government by the middle classes

MOBOCRACY — government by mobs or crowds; ochlocracy

MONARCHY — government by one individual

OLIGARCHY — government by the few

PANTARCHY — government by all the people; world government

PATRIARCHY — government by men or fathers

PLUTARCHY — government by the wealthy; plutocracy

POPOCRACY — government by populists

PSEPHOCRACY — government resulting from election by ballot

STATOCRACY — government by the state alone, without ecclesiastical influence

TECHNOCRACY — government by technical experts

THEOCRACY — government by priests or by religious law

XENOCRACY — government by a body of foreigners