Governments are usually empowered to establish and regulate the interrelationships of the people within their territorial confines. In this sense, government applies both to the governments of national states, such as the federal government of the U.S., and to the govemments of subdivisions of national states such as the state, county, and municipal governments of the U.S. The word government" may also refer to the people who form the supreme administrative body of a country, as in the expression"the government of Prime Minister Tony Blaire" in the UK Governments are classified in a great many ways and from a wide variety of standpoints. A familiar classification is that which distinguishes monarchic from republican governments. Scholars in modern times, espec ially in the 20th century, have stressed the characteristics that distinguish democratic governments from dictatorships. In one classification of governments, federal states are distinguished from unitary states Monarchy is a form of government in which one person has the hereditary right to rule as head of state during his or her lifetime. The power of the monarch varies from absolute to very limited. Monarchs include such rulers as kings and queens emperors and empress Republican government is a form of state based on the concept that sovereignty resides in the people, who delegate the power to rule in their behalf to elected representatives and officials emocracy is a political system in which the people of a country rule through any form of government they choose to establish. In modern democracies, supreme authority is exercised for the most part by representatives elected by popular suffrage n many democracies, such as the United States, both the executive head of government and the legislature are elected. In typical constitutional monarchies such as the United Kingdom, only the legislators are elected, and from their ranks a cabinet and a prime minister are chosen (It is important to distinguish between a republic and a democracy. In the theoretical republican state, where the government expresses the will of the people who have chosen it, republic and democracy may be identical (there are also democratic monarchies). Historical republics, however, have never conformed to a theoretical model, and in the 20th century the term republic is freely used by dictatorships, one-party states, and democracies alike. Republic has, in fact, come to signify any form of state headed by a president or some similarly titled figure, and not a monarch.) Federalism, also referred to as federal government, is a national or international political sy stem in which two levels of government control the same territory and2 Governments are usually empowered to establish and regulate the interrelationships of the people within their territorial confines. In this sense, government applies both to the governments of national states, such as the federal government of the U.S., and to the governments of subdivisions of national states, such as the state, county, and municipal governments of the U.S. The word “government” may also refer to the people who form the supreme administrative body of a country, as in the expression “the government of Prime Minister Tony Blaire” in the UK. Governments are classified in a great many ways and from a wide variety of standpoints. A familiar classification is that which distinguishes monarchic from republican governments. Scholars in modern times, especially in the 20th century, have stressed the characteristics that distinguish democratic governments from dictatorships. In one classification of governments, federal states are distinguished from unitary states. Monarchy is a form of government in which one person has the hereditary right to rule as head of state during his or her lifetime. The power of the monarch varies from absolute to very limited. Monarchs include such rulers as kings and queens, emperors and empresses. Republican government is a form of state based on the concept that sovereignty resides in the people, who delegate the power to rule in their behalf to elected representatives and officials. Democracy is a political system in which the people of a country rule through any form of government they choose to establish. In modern democracies, supreme authority is exercised for the most part by representatives elected by popular suffrage. In many democracies, such as the United States, both the executive head of government and the legislature are elected. In typical constitutional monarchies such as the United Kingdom, only the legislators are elected, and from their ranks a cabinet and a prime minister are chosen. (It is important to distinguish between a republic and a democracy. In the theoretical republican state, where the government expresses the will of the people who have chosen it, republic and democracy may be identical (there are also democratic monarchies). Historical republics, however, have never conformed to a theoretical model, and in the 20th century the term republic is freely used by dictatorships, one-party states, and democracies alike. Republic has, in fact, come to signify any form of state headed by a president or some similarly titled figure, and not a monarch.) Federalism, also referred to as federal government, is a national or international political system in which two levels of government control the same territory and