valtiomuotoja

Valtiomuotoja refers to the different forms of government that a state can take. These forms are distinguished by who holds power, how that power is acquired, and how it is exercised. Historically and in contemporary political science, various classifications exist, often overlapping.

A primary distinction is between monarchies and republics. In a monarchy, a single person, the monarch, typically inherits their position and rules for life or until abdication. Monarchies can range from absolute, where the monarch's power is unchecked, to constitutional, where their authority is limited by a constitution and often exercised by elected officials.

Republics, in contrast, are states where the head of state is not a monarch and is typically elected, either directly by the people or indirectly by representatives. Within republics, further distinctions arise based on the relationship between the executive and legislative branches. Presidential systems, like that of the United States, feature a president who is both head of state and head of government, elected separately from the legislature. Parliamentary systems, common in Europe, have a prime minister who is the head of government and is usually a member of the legislature, accountable to it.

Another significant categorization concerns the distribution of power geographically. Unitary states concentrate power in a central government, while federal states divide power between a central government and regional or state governments. Confederations represent a looser association of states, where the central authority is relatively weak. The extent of citizen participation also differentiates state forms, with democracies emphasizing broad political participation and autocracies concentrating power in the hands of a few or a single individual.