Types of Government

We saw in the last chapter what causes the various kinds or forms of government to be distinguished according to the number of the members composing them: it remains in this to discover how the division is made.

In the last chapter, we saw why forms of government differ according to the number of members they have. In this chapter, we still need to explain how these forms are divided.

In the first place, the Sovereign may commit the charge of the government to the whole people or to the majority of the people, so that more citizens are magistrates than are mere private individuals. This form of government is called democracy.

First, the Sovereign may entrust government to all or most of the people. In that case, more citizens serve as public officials than remain private individuals. This form of government is called democracy.

Or it may restrict the government to a small number; so that there are more private citizens than magistrates; and this is named aristocracy.

Or it may limit government to a small group, so that private citizens outnumber government officials. This form of government is called aristocracy.

Lastly, it may concentrate the whole government in the hands of a single magistrate from whom all others hold their power. This third form is the most usual, and is called monarchy, or royal government.

Finally, it may place the entire government in the hands of a single magistrate. All other magistrates get their power from that magistrate. This third form is the most common and is called monarchy, or royal government.

It should be remarked that all these forms, or at least the first two, admit of degree, and even of very wide differences; for democracy may include the whole people, or may be restricted to half. Aristocracy, in its turn, may be restricted indefinitely from half the people down to the smallest possible number. Even royalty is susceptible of a measure of distribution. Sparta always had two kings, as its constitution provided; and the Roman Empire saw as many as eight emperors at once, without it being possible to say that the Empire was split up. Thus there is a point at which each form of government passes into the next, and it becomes clear that, under three comprehensive denominations, government is really susceptible of as many diverse forms as the State has citizens.

All these forms of government, or at least the first two, can vary in degree, sometimes very widely. A democracy may include the whole people, or it may be limited to half. An aristocracy, in turn, may range from half the people down to the smallest possible number. Even royal power can be shared to some degree. Sparta always had two kings, as its constitution required. And the Roman Empire had as many as eight emperors at once, without the Empire being considered divided. So each form of government reaches a point where it passes into the next. Clearly, then, despite these three broad categories, government can take as many different forms as the State has citizens.

There are even more: for, as the government may also, in certain aspects, be subdivided into other parts, one administered in one fashion and one in another, the combination of the three forms may result in a multitude of mixed forms, each of which admits of multiplication by all the simple forms.

There are even more possibilities. For government may, in some respects, be divided into parts, each governed in a different way. So combining the three forms may produce many mixed forms. Each mixed form can, in turn, be combined with all the simple forms to produce still more forms.

There has been at all times much dispute concerning the best form of government, without consideration of the fact that each is in some cases the best, and in others the worst.

People have always argued over the best form of government. But they have ignored the fact that each form is best in some situations and worst in others.

If, in the different States, the number of supreme magistrates should be in inverse ratio to the number of citizens, it follows that, generally, democratic government suits small States, aristocratic government those of middle size, and monarchy great ones. This rule is immediately deducible from the principle laid down. But it is impossible to count the innumerable circumstances which may furnish exceptions.

If the number of top officials in each state is inversely proportional to its number of citizens, a general rule follows. Democratic government generally suits small states, aristocratic government suits medium-sized states, and monarchy suits large states. This rule follows directly from the principle already stated. But there are countless circumstances that may create exceptions, and it is impossible to list them all.