Get complete information on the terms government, political system and political regime

A political regime is a set of political structures that make up a state. A political regime may also be known as a form of government, a state system, or a political system. The term political regime may also sometimes refer to a specific ruler or set of rulers within a political system.

A political regime or political system, is to be analysed in a much broader perspective in the sense that they encompass not only the organs of the government and the political institutions of the state, but also the structures, processes and values through which these interact with the civil society. It follows that different political regimes have tended to priorities different sets of criteria. Among the parameters, most commonly used to classify the nature of political regimes, are the following:

Who rules? Does the process of political participation involve only elite, or does it involve the people as a whole?

How is compliance achieved? Is the political regime obeyed as a result of the use of coercion, or through consensus, bargaining and compromise? Is the political power of the regime centralized or fragmented? : What kind of mechanisms are needed to ensure separation of powers and checks and balances exist within the political regime?

How is government power acquired and transferred? Is a regime open and competitive, or is it monolithic?

What is the relationship between the state and the individual?: What is the nature of distribution of rights and responsibilities between government and the citizens?

What is the nature of political economy?: Is the political economy geared to the market or to State’s regulation and planning?

Within what limits and scope the political regime operates?: Whether it is a limited or unlimited Government and what is the proper extent of democratic rule?

Under which conditions and constraints?: What are the socio-economic and • cultural problems coming in the way of the functioning of the political regime?

How stable is a political regime? Has a particular regime survived over a considerable period of time, and has it shown the capacity to respond to new demands and challenges?