Politics, Law & Government
The world today is divided territorially into more than 190 countries, each of which possesses a national government that claims to exercise sovereignty and seeks to compel obedience to its will by its citizens. Governments can be classified in any number of ways. For example, they might be classified by the number of rulers, thus distinguishing government by one (as in a monarchy or a tyranny) from government by the few (in an aristocracy or oligarchy) and from government by the many (as in a democracy). Governments can also be classified by mode of succession; for example, ascension to governmental leadership may follow the rules of hereditary succession, or it may be determined through elections or by force. Governments also vary in terms of the laws and rules of conduct that each political entity follows.
Browse Subcategories
Featured content, December 08, 2024
Why Are Two Political Parties Dominant in the U.S.?
Find out how Democrats and Republicans came to dominate U.S. politics.
The Surprisingly Disorderly History of the U.S. Presidential Succession Order
Who takes over and when?
Why Are U.S. Elections Held on Tuesdays?
Blame 19th-century farmers.
8 Questions About Democracy Answered
Important questions asked and answered, briefly.
political system
Political system, the set of formal legal institutions that constitute a “government” or a “state.” This is the definition...
political philosophy
Political philosophy, branch of philosophy that is concerned, at the most abstract level, with the concepts and arguments...
industrial relations
Industrial relations, the behaviour of workers in organizations in which they earn their living. Scholars of industrial relations...
democracy
Democracy, literally, rule by the people. The term is derived from the Greek dēmokratia, which was coined from dēmos (“people”)...
Politics, Law & Government Quizzes
Politics, Law & Government Videos
Politics, Law & Government Subcategories
Banking & Business
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
- legal profession
-
European Union
European organization
- international trade
Businesspeople & Entrepreneurs
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
-
Donald Trump
45th president of the United States
-
Indra Nooyi
American business executive
-
Melinda Gates
American businesswoman and philanthropist
Economics & Economic Systems
Economic system, any of the ways in which humankind has arranged for its material provisioning. One would think that there would be a great variety of such systems, corresponding to the many cultural arrangements that have characterized human society.
Articles
- industrial relations
-
art market
economics
-
Great Depression
economy
International Relations
International relations is the study of the relations of states with each other and with international organizations and certain subnational entities (e.g., bureaucracies, political parties, and interest groups). It is related to a number of other academic disciplines, including political science, geography, history, economics, law, sociology, psychology, and philosophy.
Articles
-
World Bank
international organization
-
International Monetary Fund
UN agency
- human rights
Law, Crime & Punishment
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
-
crime
law
-
canon law
religion
- international law
Military
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
-
war college
educational institution
-
Army of Tennessee
Confederate army during American Civil War
-
United States Air Force
United States military
Politics & Political Systems
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
-
liberalism
politics
- socialism
-
conservatism
political philosophy
World Leaders
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
-
Charles de Gaulle
president of France
-
Benito Mussolini
Italian dictator
-
Peter I
emperor of Russia