Geography examples of constitutional monarchy countries. Constitutional monarchy: concept, features, states of Europe and Asia

A monarchical state or, in other words, a monarchy is a state in which power, in whole or in part, belongs to one person - the monarch. It can be a king, a king, an emperor, or, for example, a sultan, but any monarch rules for life and transfers his power by inheritance.

Today there are 30 monarchical states in the world and 12 of them are monarchies in Europe. the list of countries-monarchies located in Europe, which is given below.

List of monarchies in Europe

1. Norway - kingdom, constitutional monarchy;
2. Sweden - kingdom, constitutional monarchy;
3. Denmark - a kingdom, a constitutional monarchy;
4. Great Britain - a kingdom, a constitutional monarchy;
5. Belgium - kingdom, constitutional monarchy;
6. The Netherlands - a kingdom, a constitutional monarchy;
7. Luxembourg - duchy, constitutional monarchy;
8. Liechtenstein - principality, constitutional monarchy;
9. Spain - kingdom, parliamentary constitutional monarchy;
10. Andorra - a principality, a parliamentary principality with two co-rulers;
11. Monaco - principality, constitutional monarchy;
12. The Vatican is a papal state, an elective absolute theocratic monarchy.

All monarchies in Europe are countries in which the form of government is a constitutional monarchy, that is, one in which the power of the monarch is significantly limited by an elected parliament and the constitution adopted by it. The only exception is the Vatican, where absolute rule is exercised by an elected Pope.

CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY, (limited monarchy) a kind of monarchical form of government in which the power of the monarch (see MONARCH (head of state)) is limited by the constitution, there is an elected legislative body parliament and independent ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

A state in which the power of the head is limited by the constitution. Explanation of 25,000 foreign words that have come into use in the Russian language, with the meaning of their roots. Mikhelson A.D., 1865. CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY A state in which the power of the head ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

a constitutional monarchy- Monarchy, where the power of the monarch is limited by the constitution, i.e. Legislative functions are transferred to parliament, and executive functions to the government ... Geography Dictionary

A CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY- a kind of monarchical form of government, a state in which the power of the monarch is significantly limited by an elected representative body (parliament). This is usually determined by the constitution, which the monarch has no right to change. As a rule, K.m. ... ... Legal Encyclopedia

A constitutional monarchy- (English constitutional monarchy) state structure, in which the power of the monarch (king, emperor, etc.) is limited by the constitution (legislative functions are transferred to parliament, executive government) ... Encyclopedia of Law

- (limited monarchy, parliamentary monarchy), a form of government in which the power of a lifelong ruler - a monarch - is to some extent limited to one of the political institutions, which are the constitution, parliament, supreme ... ... Geographic Encyclopedia

A constitutional monarchy- a monarchy in which the power of the monarch is limited by parliament (England, Belgium, Sweden) ... Popular political vocabulary

a constitutional monarchy- see also. limited monarchy. a special kind of monarchical form of government in which the power of the monarch is limited by the constitution, there is an elected legislature parliament and independent courts. First appeared in the UK at the end of ... ... Big Law Dictionary

A form of government in which the monarch, although he is the head of state, however, unlike an absolute or unlimited monarchy, his power is limited by the constitution. K.m. It is customary to subdivide into dualistic and parliamentary. AT… … Law Encyclopedia

See article Monarchy… Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Books

• Metamorphoses of the history of Russia. Volume 3. Pre-capitalism and constitutional monarchy, L. S. Vasiliev. Third volume research project dedicated to the fourth metamorphosis of Russia. The reforms of the 1860s and 1905 created a socio-political and private legal basis that made it possible to make a leap towards ...
• Metamorphoses of the history of Russia. Pre-capitalism and constitutional monarchy. Volume 3, Vasiliev L.S. The third volume of the research project is devoted to the fourth metamorphosis of Russia. The reforms of the 1860s and 1905 created a socio-political and private legal basis that made it possible to make a leap towards ...

Modern political science can give complete description any form of state (device political organization society) based on the form of government, the form of the state-territorial structure and the type of political regime.

Forms of government

The form of government is the way in which the supreme state power. There are two forms of government - monarchy and republic. Monarchy, in turn, can be of such types as:

• absolute (all the fullness of executive, legislative and judicial power is concentrated in the hands of the monarch);
• constitutional or parliamentary (the power of the monarch is limited by the constitution, the real executive and legislative power is in the hands of the parliament elected or formed by the people);
• dualistic (power is divided equally between the monarch and parliament);
• theocratic (power is in the hands of the spiritual leader who heads this or that denomination).

The republican form of government exists in such forms as

• presidential (power is concentrated in the hands of the elected president);
• parliamentary (the country is led by parliament or the prime minister; the president performs only representative functions);
• mixed (power is divided between parliament and the president).

Form of state-territorial structure

The forms of the state-territorial structure are a way of interconnection and interaction of individual parts of the state, enshrined in the constitution. There are forms like

• federation (an alliance of relatively independent subjects, subordinate in all important matters to the political center);
• unitary state (a single and indivisible state, consisting only of administrative units);
• confederation (a temporary union of states completely independent from each other).

Political regimes

The political regime is a set of methods and ways of exercising state power. There are such types of political regimes as

TOP 4 articleswho read along with this

• democratic (power is in the hands of the people, civil rights and freedoms are both declared and actually work);
• undemocratic (power is in the hands of the ruling elite, the political minority, civil rights and freedoms are only declared, they do not work in practice).

A non-democratic political regime also has certain subspecies: authoritarian and totalitarian (the difference lies in the level of control of power over society).

Most countries Foreign Europe- republics different kind with democratic political regimes. The Republics of Foreign Europe are France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria.

But despite this, there is a large number of countries of foreign Europe with a monarchical form of government. How many are there?

Monarchies of Foreign Europe

Which states can be included in the list of "Monarchist countries of foreign Europe"?

It can be represented as follows.

Fig. 1 Ruling royal house of Windsor

The Vatican is not the only state with an elective theocratic absolute monarchy. The second state is Iran, where the spiritual leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, held power for a long time.

Thus, a fairly large number of large European countries are monarchies. They are especially large specific gravity in Northern Foreign Europe (if you look at their location on the map).

Rice. 2 political map Foreign Europe

Almost all modern dynasties are connected by blood ties. The royal house of Great Britain, the Windsors, are representatives of both the Saxon-Coburg - Goth dynasty and the Glücksburg dynasty. The oldest unbroken dynasty is the princely house of Grimaldi. The throne has been passed down in a straight line from father to son for 700 years.

Fig.3 Chapter ruling house Monaco - Prince Albert II Grimaldi

What have we learned?

Most of the monarchical countries of Foreign Europe are constitutional monarchies. This means that all legislative, executive and judicial power is in the hands of Parliament and an elected Prime Minister or Chancellor. The monarch plays a representative role, although he can speak out on key issues of foreign and domestic policy. In some countries, such as the UK, the monarch is a significant figure in the political arena. Elizabeth II, the reigning queen, actively interfered in the activities of many prime ministers: Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair and others.

Topic quiz

Report Evaluation

Average rating: 4.6. Total ratings received: 248.

Monarchy(from the Greek monarhia - autocracy) is a form of government in which power is fully or partially concentrated in the hands of the sole head of state - the monarch. Distinguish between unlimited (absolute) and limited (constitutional) monarchies . Absolute monarchy characterized by the sovereignty of the head of state. Preserved mainly in Asia (Saudi Arabia, Brunei, Oman, Qatar). Under the sultans and emirs, there are sometimes deliberative bodies, the so-called. quasi-parliaments, but with very limited possibilities. A constitutional monarchy characterized by the limitation of the power of the monarch by Parliament. Depending on the degree of restriction, dualistic (dual) and parliamentary monarchies are distinguished. Under a dualistic monarchy, the powers of the head of state are limited in the sphere of legislation, but broad in the sphere of executive power. The monarch has the right to appoint a government that is responsible to him. Under a parliamentary monarchy, the power of the head of state practically does not extend to the sphere of legislation and is significantly limited in the sphere of executive power. The government is formed by a parliamentary majority and is accountable to parliament, not to the monarch. Thus, "the monarch reigns, but does not rule." Such a monarchy in Great Britain, Sweden,. Denmark, Spain, Belgium, Japan and other countries. In Russia, there is an Orthodox monarchical order Union - Pramos, which supports and disseminates monarchist ideas.

AT monarchy the source of power is one person. The head of state receives his post by inheritance, regardless of voters or representative bodies of power. There are several types of monarchical form of government:

- absolute monarchy (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman) - omnipotence of the head of state;

- a constitutional monarchy - a state in which the powers of the monarch are limited by the constitution.

The constitutional monarchy is divided into dualistic (Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco), in which the monarch is endowed with predominantly executive power and only partially with legislative, and parliamentary where the monarch, although considered the head of state, actually has representative functions and only partially executive, and sometimes also has the right to veto decisions of parliament, which he practically does not use. The vast majority of Monarchy in a specific form is preserved today in almost a third of the countries of the world (Great Britain, Sweden, Denmark, Spain)

11. State as an institution of the political system of society.

Political institutions are relatively highly organized social and political system formations, characterized by a stable structure, deep integration of their elements, diversity, flexibility and dynamism of their functions.

it- bringing people together to meet a specific and important need or achieve a specific goal of a personal, group or social nature.

political institutions- this is the family, the state, its bodies (parliament, president, government, court), parties, education systems, health care, social security, factories, banks, markets, scientific and cultural organizations and institutions, mass media, religion and many others.

They are characterized by a clear delineation of the functions and powers of each of the subjects of interaction, the consistency of their actions, a fairly high and strict level of control and regulation.

Concepts of the genesis of the state.

The state appears as a result of the decomposition of the tribal system, the gradual isolation from the society of leaders and their entourage and the concentration of managerial functions, resources of power and social privileges in them under the influence of a number of factors . The most important of them:

The development of the social division of labor, the allocation of managerial labor in order to increase its efficiency in a special industry and the formation of this special body - the state;

Emergence in the course of development of production of private property, classes and exploitation (Marxism).

Without denying the influence of these factors, most modern scholars still do not link the existence of the state directly with the emergence of private property and classes. In some countries, education historically preceded it and contributed to the class stratification of society. In the course of historical development, as class antagonisms are erased and society is democratized, the state becomes more and more a supra-class, national organization;

The conquest of some peoples by others (F. Oppenheimer, L. Gumplovich and others). The influence of the conquests on the education and development of the state is undoubted. However, it should also not be made absolute, losing sight of other, often more important factors;

Demographic factors: changes in the reproduction of the human race itself, an increase in the number and density of the population, the transition of peoples from a nomadic to a settled way of life, the prohibition of incest and the regulation of marriage relations between clans. All this increased the need for communities to regulate the relationships of ethnically close people;

Psychological factors. Some authors (Hobbes) consider fear of aggression from other people, fear for life and property as the strongest motive that prompts a person to create a state. Others (Locke) put in the forefront the mind of people, which led them to an agreement on the creation of a special body - the state, which is better able to ensure the rights of people than traditional forms of community life. The contractual theories of the state are supported by some real facts. So, for example, a contractual system of reigning existed in ancient Novgorod, where an agreement was concluded with a prince invited for a certain period;

anthropological factors. They mean that the state form of organization is rooted in the very social nature of man, its development. Even Aristotle argued that man, as a highly collective being, can exist only within the framework of certain forms of community life. The state, like a family and a village, “is a natural form of community life.” It arises as a result of the development of human nature and, with the help of law, brings fair, moral principles into people's lives.

In the scientific literature, some other factors affecting the formation of states and their features are also noted; geographical location, the presence or absence of natural boundaries, climatic conditions, fertile lands etc. Numerous studies have shown that the state arises and develops under the influence of a number of factors, among which it is hardly possible to single out any one as determining.

Existing for many millennia, the state changes along with the development of the whole society, of which it is a part.

From the point of view of the peculiarities of the relationship between the state and the individual, the embodiment in the state structure of rationality, the principles of freedom and human rights, in the development of the state, one can single out two global stages : traditional and constitutional , as well as intermediate stages that combine the features of traditional and constitutional states, for example, totalitarian statehood.

Traditional states arose and existed mainly spontaneously, on the basis of customs and norms of ancient times. They had institutionally unlimited power over their subjects, denied the equality of all people, did not recognize the individual as a source of state power. Monarchies were a typical embodiment of such a state.

constitutional the state is an object of conscious human formation, management and regulation. It does not seek to cover with its regulatory influence all manifestations of human life - its economic, cultural, religious and political activity and is limited only to the performance of functions delegated by citizens and not violating the freedom of the individual. In general, the constitutional stage in the development of the state is associated with its subordination to society and citizens, with the legal certainty of the powers and scope of state intervention, with the legal regulation of the activities of the state and guarantees of human rights. In a word, it is connected with the appearance of the constitution.

The term itself "constitution" in science it is used in two senses.

The first of these, denoted by the term "real constitution", goes back to Aristotle, who in his famous "Politics" interpreted the constitution as "a certain order for the inhabitants of one state." In other words, a real constitution is a political system, a stable model of state activity. This code does not necessarily take the form of a set of laws inherent in modern states. It may have the character of religious-political commandments or unwritten age-old traditions to which the current laws of the state are subject.

In the second, most common sense, the term "constitution" is a set of laws, a legal or normative act. It is a system of fixed laws that determine the foundations, goals and structure of the state. The Constitution acts as if the text of a "social contract" concluded between citizens and the state, and regulating its activities. It gives the state of a modern, constitutional type the necessary legitimacy.

Exist in modern world? Where on the planet are countries still ruled by kings and sultans? Find answers to these questions in our article. In addition, you will learn what a constitutional monarchy is. You will also find examples of countries of this form of government in this publication.

The main forms of government in the modern world

To date, there are two main models government controlled: monarchist and republican. By monarchy is meant a form of government in which power belongs to one person. It can be a king, emperor, emir, prince, sultan, etc. Second distinguishing feature monarchical system - the process of transferring this power by inheritance (and not by the results of popular elections).

Today there are absolute, theocratic and constitutional monarchies. Republics (the second form of government) are more common in the modern world: they are about 70%. The republican model of government assumes the election of the supreme authorities - the parliament and (or) the president.

The most famous monarchies of the planet: Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Japan, Kuwait, United United Arab Emirates(UAE). Examples of country-republics: Poland, Russia, France, Mexico, Ukraine. However, in this article we are only interested in countries with a constitutional monarchy (you will find a list of these states below).

Monarchy: absolute, theocratic, constitutional

There are three types of monarchical countries (there are about 40 of them in the world). It can be theocratic, absolute and constitutional monarchy. Let us briefly consider the features of each of them, and dwell on the last in more detail.

AT absolute monarchies all power is concentrated in the hands of one person. He makes absolutely all decisions, realizing the internal and foreign policy of their country. The clearest example of such a monarchy can be called Saudi Arabia.

In a theocratic monarchy, power belongs to the highest church (spiritual) minister. The only example of such a country is the Vatican, where the absolute authority for the population is the Pope. True, some researchers classify Brunei and even Great Britain as theocratic monarchies. It's no secret that the Queen of England is also the head of the church.

A constitutional monarchy is...

The constitutional monarchy is that model state government in which the power of the monarch is significantly limited.

Sometimes he can be completely deprived of supreme authority. In this case, the monarch is only a formal figure, a kind of symbol of the state (as, for example, in Great Britain).

All these legal restrictions on the power of the monarch, as a rule, are reflected in the constitution of a particular state (hence the name of this form of government).

Types of constitutional monarchy

Modern constitutional monarchies can be parliamentary or dualistic. In the first, the government is formed by the country's parliament, to which it reports. In dualistic constitutional monarchies, ministers are appointed (and removed) by the monarch himself. Parliament only has the right of some vetoes.

It is worth noting that the division of countries into republics and monarchies sometimes turns out to be somewhat arbitrary. After all, even in the most individual aspects of the succession of power (the appointment of relatives and friends to important government posts) can be observed. This applies to Russia, Ukraine and even the United States.

Constitutional Monarchy: Examples of Countries

To date, 31 states of the world can be attributed to constitutional monarchies. The third part of them is located in the Western and Northern Europe. About 80% of all constitutional monarchies in the modern world are parliamentary, and only seven are dualistic.

The following are all countries with a constitutional monarchy (list). The region in which the state is located is indicated in brackets:

1. Luxembourg (Western Europe).
2. Liechtenstein (Western Europe).
3. Principality of Monaco (Western Europe).
4. Great Britain (Western Europe).
5. Netherlands (Western Europe).
6. Belgium (Western Europe).
7. Denmark (Western Europe).
8. Norway (Western Europe).
9. Sweden (Western Europe).
10. Spain (Western Europe).
11. Andorra (Western Europe).
12. Kuwait (Middle East).
13. UAE (Middle East).
14. Jordan (Middle East).
15. Japan (East Asia).
16. Cambodia (Southeast Asia).
17. Thailand (Southeast Asia).
18. Bhutan (Southeast Asia).
19. Australia (Australia and Oceania).
20. New Zealand (Australia and Oceania).
21. Papua New Guinea (Australia and Oceania).
22. Tonga (Australia and Oceania).
23. Solomon Islands (Australia and Oceania).
24. Canada (North America).
25. Morocco (North Africa).
26. Lesotho (South Africa).
27. Grenada (Caribbean).
28. Jamaica (Caribbean).
29. Saint Lucia (Caribbean).
30. Saint Kitts and Nevis (Caribbean).
31. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (Caribbean).

On the map below, all these countries are marked in green.

Is constitutional monarchy the ideal form of government?

There is an opinion that the constitutional monarchy is the key to the stability and welfare of the country. Is it so?

Of course, a constitutional monarchy is not capable of automatically solving all the problems that arise before the state. However, it is ready to offer society a certain political stability. After all, in such countries a constant struggle for power (imaginary or real) is absent a priori.

The constitutional-monarchical model has a number of other advantages. As practice shows, it was in such states that it was possible to build the world's best social security systems for citizens. And we are talking not only about the countries of the Scandinavian Peninsula.

You can take, for example, the same countries of the Persian Gulf (UAE, Kuwait). They have much less oil than in the same Russia. However, in a few decades, from poor countries, whose population was exclusively engaged in grazing in oases, they were able to turn into successful, prosperous and fully established states.

The most famous constitutional monarchies of the world: Great Britain, Norway, Kuwait

Great Britain is one of the most famous parliamentary monarchies on the planet. (as well as formally another 15 Commonwealth countries) is Queen Elizabeth II. However, one should not think that she is a purely symbolic figure. The British Queen has a powerful right to dissolve Parliament. In addition, it is she who is the commander-in-chief of the British troops.

The Norwegian king is also the head of state, according to the Constitution, which has been in force since 1814. To quote this document, Norway is "a free monarchical state with a limited and hereditary form of government." Moreover, initially the king had broader powers, which gradually narrowed.

Another parliamentary monarchy since 1962 is Kuwait. The role of the head of state here is played by the emir, who has broad powers: he dissolves the parliament, signs laws, appoints the head of the government; he also commands the troops of Kuwait. It is curious that in this wonderful country women are absolutely equal in their political rights with men, which is not typical for the states of the Arab world.

Finally

Now you know what a constitutional monarchy is. Examples of this country are present on all continents of the planet, except for Antarctica. These are the gray-haired wealthy states of the old Europe, and the young richest

Can it be said that the optimal shape government in the world is precisely a constitutional monarchy? Examples of countries - successful and highly developed - fully confirm this assumption.