Forms of government - Concepts - Chapter 1 Class 7 Political Science - Democracy - Political Science

Forms of government 

• Absolute monarchy: the rule by a king or queen who has absolute powers and is not accountable to the people
  
  
• Dictatorship : the rule by an unelected, all-powerful dictator who is not accountable to the people.
  
  
• Democracy : It stands for the people’s rule. People are involved in the formation of government.
  
  
• Democracy can be direct or indirect, depending on how people participate in the formation and running of the government.
  
  
  • Direct democracy: The government is elected and run directly by the people.
     
    • Example: Switzerland i s the only country where direct democracy is practiced at the state level.
      
      
    • The Gram Sabha or meeting of villagers is an example of direct democracy in India.
      
      

• • Indirect or representative democracy: people elect their representatives who form and run the government on their behalf.
    
    

•  In most democracies the head of the country (President) is also elected by the people. Such countries are called republics.
  
  
• Thus, India is a ' democratic republic' because we have both the government and the head of the state or President elected by the people.