LEGAL STUDIES FLIP CLASS

~MONARCHY
J.W. Garner’s view on monarchy -

“In its widest sense, any government in which the supreme and final authority is in
the hands of a single person is a monarchy, without regard to the source of his
election or the nature and duration of his tenure. In this sense, it is immaterial
whether his office is conferred by election (by parliament or people) or is derived by
hereditary succession, or whether he bears the title of emperor, king, czar, president
or dictator. It is the fact that the will of one man ultimately prevails in all matters of
government which gives it the character of monarchy.”
• Monarchy is the oldest form of government. In this system the state works according to
the commands and rules of the monarch thus forming a political regime in which the
supreme power is in the hands of a single person who wears the crown. The will of one
person prevails in all matters of governance.
• Slowly with the evolution of democratic and republic forms of government, the
monarchial form of government started to decline around the world. In some cases, as
in the United Kingdom, monarchs are merely retained as the ‘ceremonial’ or ‘nominal’
heads of government, devoid of key political powers.
• As observed by C.C Rodee, “Constitutional monarchs are loved and respected by their
people as the symbols of unity of the nation or empire, but are devoid of political
power.”
• In the world, there are mainly 2 types of monarchy -
1. Constitutional monarchy - In a constitutional monarchy, political power is shared between the
monarch and a constitutionally organized government such as the parliament. The monarch
acts as the head of state within the parameters of a written or unwritten constitution.

Along with the UK, a few examples of modern constitutional monarchies include Canada,
Sweden, and Japan.

2. Absolute monarchy - An absolute monarchy is a form of government in which a single person

holds absolute, autocratic power. The succession of power is typically hereditary, with the throne
passing among members of a ruling family. Absolute monarchies today in the world include
Brunei, Eswatini, Oman, Saudi Arabia, etc..
THANK YOU