Three ways to sort countries
A country (state) is a territory with its own people, government and borders. To compare countries we ask three questions: who rules (form of government), how is power shared inside the state (state structure) and how developed is its economy and society. A country has an answer to all three at once, for example "a federal republic with a middle income".
Forms of government: monarchy
In a monarchy the head of state is a king, queen, emperor or similar, and the post is usually inherited. There are two kinds:
- Absolute monarchy: the monarch holds most power.
- Constitutional monarchy: the monarch is a symbol and real power lies with an elected parliament and government (for example the United Kingdom, Japan).
Forms of government: republic
In a republic the head of state is chosen (directly by voters or by an elected body) for a limited time and is not a hereditary ruler. A president is the usual title. Republics may be presidential (president leads the government), parliamentary (prime minister leads, president is often ceremonial) or mixed. India, France and the United States are republics.
State structure: unitary or federal
In a unitary state the central government holds the main power; regions are set up by it and can be changed by it (Japan, France). In a federal state power is divided in the constitution between the centre and units such as states or provinces, and each level has its own powers (India, USA, Brazil, Germany). Federal systems suit large or very diverse countries.
Levels of development
Countries are often grouped by income per person into low-income, middle-income and high-income groups (international agencies update the cut-off values every year). Income alone is not enough. The Human Development Index (HDI) also looks at health (life expectancy) and education (years of schooling). Rich countries usually have more factories and services, high literacy and long life; poor countries often depend more on farming. Many countries are in between and are changing fast.
Try it
Pick three countries from the news. For each, write: monarchy or republic, unitary or federal, and income group. Then use the sliders in the 3D and see how raising only income, but not schooling, changes the group.
Key formulas and definitions
- Monarchy: head of state by birth; Republic: head of state chosen for a term
- Unitary: power in one centre; Federal: power shared by constitution
- Development group from income, health and schooling (HDI ideas)
Worked examples
1. A country has a king with only ceremonial duties and an elected parliament. Classify the government.
Constitutional monarchy.
2. A country's constitution gives some powers to the centre and others to its states, which cannot be removed by the centre. Which structure is this?
Federal.
3. A made-up country scores income 20, health 50, schooling 80 (out of 100). Using the average and the simple cut-offs below 35 = low, 35 to 65 = middle, above 65 = high, which group?
Average = (20 + 50 + 80)/3 = 50, so the middle group.
4. Give one reason why income alone does not describe development.
A country may be rich from oil but have low schooling or poor health, so people still lack opportunity.
Common mistakes
- Thinking monarchy always means no democracy. In a constitutional monarchy an elected parliament governs.
- Mixing up "republic" with "democracy". A republic has a non-hereditary head; it is not automatically free or fair.
- Treating federal as meaning "divided country". Federal means power is shared by law, and the country stays one.
- Using income alone to call a country developed.