--> Skip to Main Content

Political Science: POLS2210 Comparative Politics (Fall 2022)

An online research guide with selected library resources and tips designed for students taking Political Science at LaGrange College.

Governments Around the World

color-code map of world showing types of governments

___________________________________________________________________

National Geographic, "Forms of Government, 2018", 2022

 

Political Statistics

Freedom in the World Report

This report tracks global trends in political rights and civil liberties for 195 countries and 15 territories. External analysts assess 210 countries and territories, using a combination of on-the-ground research, consultations with local contacts, and information from news articles, nongovernmental organizations, governments, and a variety of other sources.

How to Read the Freedom of the World Report

 

The report measures the level of "freedom" in a country by looking at a country's political right (PR) and its civil liberties (CL). A country's status is either "free" (F), "partially free" (PT), or "not free" (NF). Political rights and civil liberties are measured on a scale from 1 to 7, with 1 being complete freedom and 7 being very little freedom. 
 

 

Data-Planet Statistical Datasets

Data-Planet Statistical Datasets aggregates datasets sourced public and private organizations, such as OECD, China Data Online, the United Nations, and the U.S. Census. It covers topics across many subject areas, including education, population and income, industry, commerce, trade, housing and construction. 

 

Harvard Dataverse

Dataverse is the world's largest open source research data repository of social science research datasets. 

 

IPUMS

IPUMS provides census and survey data from around the world integrated across time and space. IPUMS integration and documentation makes it easy to study change, conduct comparative research, merge information across data types, and analyze individuals within family and community contexts. 

 

The Quality of Government (QOG) Institute

The QOG Institute at the University of Gothenburg studies good governance and corruption on a global scale. QoG provides a range of datasets available for free, and data visualization tools.

 

Statista

Statista aggregates data on markets, industry, politics, economics, and population. Sources include trade publications, market and opinion research institutions, government sources, business and economic databases, reference publications, media sources, and scholarly articles. 

 

Statistical Insight

Statistical Insight provides indexing and abstracts for federal, state, and international statistical publications as well as selected business and professional publications containing statistics. This resource includes all content from the American Statistics Index (ASI), Statistical Reference Index (SRI), and Index to International Statistics (IIS), including Statistical Datasets. Dates of coverage: 1973 to present.

Pew Research Center

Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. They conduct public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research.

Types of Governments

Absolute monarchy - a form of government where the monarch rules unhindered, i.e., without any laws, constitution, or legally organized opposition.

Anarchy - a condition of lawlessness or political disorder brought about by the absence of governmental authority.

Authoritarian - a form of government in which state authority is imposed onto many aspects of citizens' lives.


Commonwealth - a nation, state, or other political entity founded on law and united by a compact of the people for the common good.
 

Communist - a system of government in which the state plans and controls the economy and a single - often authoritarian - party holds power; state controls are imposed with the elimination of private ownership of property or capital while claiming to make progress toward a higher social order in which all goods are equally shared by the people (i.e., a classless society).
 

Confederacy (Confederation) - a union by compact or treaty between states, provinces, or territories, that creates a central government with limited powers; the constituent entities retain supreme authority over all matters except those delegated to the central government.
 

Constitutional - a government by or operating under an authoritative document (constitution) that sets forth the system of fundamental laws and principles that determines the nature, functions, and limits of that government.
 

Constitutional democracy - a form of government in which the sovereign power of the people is spelled out in a governing constitution.
 

Constitutional monarchy - a system of government in which a monarch is guided by a constitution whereby his/her rights, duties, and responsibilities are spelled out in written law or by custom.

Democracy - a form of government in which the supreme power is retained by the people, but which is usually exercised indirectly through a system of representation and delegated authority periodically renewed.


Democratic republic - a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote for officers and representatives responsible to them.
 

Dictatorship - a form of government in which a ruler or small clique wield absolute power (not restricted by a constitution or laws).
 

Ecclesiastical - a government administrated by a church.
 

Emirate - similar to a monarchy or sultanate, but a government in which the supreme power is in the hands of an emir (the ruler of a Muslim state); the emir may be an absolute overlord or a sovereign with constitutionally limited authority.
 

Federal (Federation) - a form of government in which sovereign power is formally divided - usually by means of a constitution - between a central authority and a number of constituent regions (states, colonies, or provinces) so that each region retains some management of its internal affairs; differs from a confederacy in that the central government exerts influence directly upon both individuals as well as upon the regional units.
 

Federal republic - a state in which the powers of the central government are restricted and in which the component parts (states, colonies, or provinces) retain a degree of self-government; ultimate sovereign power rests with the voters who chose their governmental representatives.
 

Islamic republic - a particular form of government adopted by some Muslim states; although such a state is, in theory, a theocracy, it remains a republic, but its laws are required to be compatible with the laws of Islam.
 

Maoism - the theory and practice of Marxism-Leninism developed in China by Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung), which states that a continuous revolution is necessary if the leaders of a communist state are to keep in touch with the people.
 

Marxism - the political, economic, and social principles espoused by 19th century economist Karl Marx; he viewed the struggle of workers as a progression of historical forces that would proceed from a class struggle of the proletariat (workers) exploited by capitalists (business owners), to a socialist"dictatorship of the proletariat," to, finally, a classless society - Communism.
 

Marxism-Leninism - an expanded form of communism developed by Lenin from doctrines of Karl Marx; Lenin saw imperialism as the final stage of capitalism and shifted the focus of workers' struggle from developed to underdeveloped countries.
 

Monarchy - a government in which the supreme power is lodged in the hands of a monarch who reigns over a state or territory, usually for life and by hereditary right; the monarch may be either a sole absolute ruler or a sovereign - such as a king, queen, or prince - with constitutionally limited authority.
 

Oligarchy - a government in which control is exercised by a small group of individuals whose authority generally is based on wealth or power.
 

Parliamentary democracy - a political system in which the legislature (parliament) selects the government - a prime minister, premier, or chancellor along with the cabinet ministers - according to party strength as expressed in elections; by this system, the government acquires a dual responsibility: to the people as well as to the parliament.
 

Parliamentary government (Cabinet-Parliamentary government) - a government in which members of an executive branch (the cabinet and its leader - a prime minister, premier, or chancellor) are nominated to their positions by a legislature or parliament, and are directly responsible to it; this type of government can be dissolved at will by the parliament (legislature) by means of a no confidence vote or the leader of the cabinet may dissolve the parliament if it can no longer function.
 

Parliamentary monarchy - a state headed by a monarch who is not actively involved in policy formation or implementation (i.e., the exercise of sovereign powers by a monarch in a ceremonial capacity); true governmental leadership is carried out by a cabinet and its head - a prime minister, premier, or chancellor - who are drawn from a legislature (parliament).
 

Presidential - a system of government where the executive branch exists separately from a legislature (to which it is generally not accountable).
 

Republic - a representative democracy in which the people's elected deputies (representatives), not the people themselves, vote on legislation.
 

Socialism - a government in which the means of planning, producing, and distributing goods is controlled by a central government that theoretically seeks a more just and equitable distribution of property and labor; in actuality, most socialist governments have ended up being no more than dictatorships over workers by a ruling elite.
 

Sultanate - similar to a monarchy, but a government in which the supreme power is in the hands of a sultan (the head of a Muslim state); the sultan may be an absolute ruler or a sovereign with constitutionally limited authority.
 

Theocracy - a form of government in which a Deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler, but the Deity's laws are interpreted by ecclesiastical authorities (bishops, mullahs, etc.); a government subject to religious authority.
 

Totalitarian - a government that seeks to subordinate the individual to the state by controlling not only all political and economic matters, but also the attitudes, values, and beliefs of its population.

_____________________________________________________

CIA, "Government type", The World Factbook, 2022

How to Understand Data

How to Visualize Data

Presentation Tips

TED talk

The Three "Magic" Ingredients of a Good Presentation

Presentation Skills

This website contains a number of articles on different aspects of presenting.

© 2011 LaGrange College | 601 Broad Street, LaGrange, GA 30240 | www.lagrange.edu
Default/main header image used:Attribution Some rights reserved