Geopolitics: Forms of Government

Geopolitics: The interplay between geography,

power, politics and international relations
 Colonialism
One state takes control of
another, controlling the
government and ruling the
territory as its own.
2 Waves of European
Colonization

1500-1800 and 1800-1975

Dominant Colonial Influences

Animation: 1492 to 2007

2 Waves of Decolonization
1st Wave: the Americas
2nd Wave: Africa and Asia
Legacy of European Colonialism:
Capitalism
People, corporations, and states
produce goods and services and
exchange them in the world market,
with the goal of achieving profit.
 Post WW II Geopolitical
World Order
• Bipolar - Cold War - 1945
to 1991
– U.S. vs. Soviet Union
– NATO vs. Warsaw Pact

• Multipolar – “New World

Order” - 1991 to 2000
– International cooperation

• Unilateral - 2000 to 2008

– States, particularly U.S.,
taking individual action
NATO and Warsaw Pact
Countries
 Critical Geopolitics
• Ideas about places influence political
behavior, foreign policy and citizen
attitudes
– “Evil Empire”: Reagan’s term for Soviet
Union
– “Axis of Evil”: George W. Bush’s term for
Iraq, Iran and North Korea
“Axis of Evil” and Beyond …
Forms of Government
Democratic Forms of Government
• Democratic Republic: elected President
or Prime Minister
– Examples: U.S., France, Brazil, India,
Mexico, Russia
Democratic Forms of Government
• Democratic
Constitutional
Monarchy: elected
Prime Minister, King
or Queen as
symbolic leader
– Examples: United
Queen Elizabeth and
Kingdom, Spain,
Japan David Cameron of the U.K.
Constitutional Monarchies
11 European Monarchies in
Red

All but Liechtenstein are constitutional monarchies

 Authoritarian Forms of
Government

• Absolute Monarchy: rule by monarch or

royal family
• Theocracy: rule by religious leaders
• One-party: rule by one political party such
as the Communist Party
• Military junta: rule by military leaders
 Most Absolute Monarchies
Today Are in the Middle East

Qatar

Saudi Arabia Oman

 Absolute Monarchy
Examples: Qatar, Saudi
Arabia, Oman, Swaziland

King Abdullah of King Mswati III of

Saudi Arabia Swaziland
Emir Hamad bin-
Khalifi of Qatar
 Theocracy
• Examples: Iran, Vatican City

Francis

Khamenei Ahmadinejad
 One Party Rule
• Examples: China, Cuba, North Korea,
Laos, Turkmenistan, Vietnam

Xi Jinping Raul Castro Kim Jong-un

 Military Junta
• Current Example: Fiji

Brigadier General Epeli

Nailatikau

Past examples: Egypt, Mauritania, Haiti, Burma, Poland,

Liberia …
Transitional Government

Emergency or
interim
government set
up to rule in time
of transition,
typically after a
civil war.
Division of Power Within a State
• Unitary: power centralized in capital
• Federal: power distributed between
central and regional governments

Federal States