Your Wonderful Guide to World Building

Government

Your world doesn't have to have a government, but if it does, there are several different types you can choose from. Sixteen, in fact, from the resource I'm typing from.

Republic

'A government whose authority is based on citizens' votes, which are represented by elected or nominated officials chosen in free elections.'

Democracy

'Democracy means "rule of the people". The term today refers to a political system in which the people or their elected representatives govern themselves.'

Theocracy

'A government where priests rule in the name of God or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided, or consistent with the principles of a particular religion.'

Autocracy

'A government controlled by absolute power, & in the hands of a single person with minimal restraints on the decisions & lack of any mechanisms of popular control.'

Technocracy

'A government where scientists & technical experts are in control of the state, & where rulers are selected on the basis of their knowledge/skill rather than wealth/power.'

Fascism

'It is a way of ruling that advocates total control of the people and seeks to promote the ancestral & cultural values & eradicate foreign influences.'

Anarchy

'Anarchy is a state of absence of law, a state of lawlessness and disorder (usually resulting from a failure of government)'

Monarchy

'A government where supreme authority is vested in a single & usually hereditary figure, such as a king, & whose powers can vary from absolute to none at all.'

Oligarchy

'Rule of the few. It is a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with a faction of persons or families.'

Plutocracy

'Government ruled by the rich or power provided by wealth, often used to describe a wealthy class ruling a government, often from behind the scenes.'

Tyranny

'Government or authority of an absolute ruler; arbitrary exercise of power over subjects not requisite for the purposes of government/approved by law and justice.'

Totalitarian

'A totalitarian system is the one in which a single politician authority regulates total control over state, that is centralised and dictatorial.'

Federation

'A political organisation characterized by union of small states, groups or parties, which are self-governed in internal affairs & are united under a central government.'

Communism

'As a system of government, communism is a system of government in which the state owns and operates industry on behalf of the people.'

Junta

'It refers to a group or coalition that takes control of the state after overthrowing a government. Usually this is done by a military group.'

Dictatorship

'A form of government where the power rests entirely one one person or a group of persons. This rule could be acquired by inheritance or force & is usually oppressive.'

I have no idea what most of this means. You should probably Google simpler explanations for these. I hope this helps (slightly) with building governments. Here are some questions to think about:

What sort of government is it?

How much do they influence life?

How does politics work?

How does voting work?

You could make an interesting story out of these. How about imagining life today with an anarchy government? Wouldn't that be crazy? Or a sci-fi technocracy? The possibilities are endless, literally.

That's all from me for today, as always, if you have any suggestions, leave them in the comments.

Next time, on Your Wonderful Guide to World Building - Cuisine! Sugar and spice makes every story nice.