These are the various forms of government often seen in fantasy fiction. Not all of them are used in my gaming worlds though. This list and description was also prepared for the Fargoth World Project. The list also covers terms that describe other factors involved in determing forms of government.
One leader with at least theoretically absolute power. This person is often supported by a powerful military, bureaucracy, church, political party or similar. Usually considered Dynastic Rulers, with rule being passed to their heirs. It is possible for the autocrat to be elected from the population, from the controlling political party, or similar. An autocrat is similar to a dictator.
A form of government where all people with the franchise directly vote on laws, policies and similar matters of government. This may be combined with bureaucracy to actually implement the laws. It may be combined with one or more other forms such as magocracy, gynarchy, pedocracy, or theocracy that limit the franchise to specified people.
Technically a political system built around reciprocal personal relations among members of the military elite. Often combined with manoralism When combined with manoralism and monarchy, this is the typical vision of Middle Ages European or fantasy political system with knights, peasants and kings. Reference link 1, reference link 2
A government of the aged. Only persons over a certain age have the franchise or are eligiable for political office.
see matriarchy
A special case of a theocracy. Historically a form of theoracy based up priests who are organizied in a system of ranks. Applied originially to the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches which have a ranked and ordered setup of priests. Reference link
A form of government where only mages have the franchise.
A combination political system and economic system. A system where the workers of the land (peasants or serfs) are bound to the owner of the land (a noble or Lord) by a variety of semi-reciprocal bonds of support and loyalty. The lord of the manor is technically the local government, although the lord is often bound by a web of feudal obligations to higher nobles in a region or country.
In political science theory, a government where political power is restricted to women (matriarchy) or men (patriarchy). It is possible for the opposite gender to exert control, but only through appropiate gendered proxies. Legal, social and economic power is also generally restricted to the appropiate gender under this form of government, but such restrictions are not an absolute requirement. This descriptive term has to be combined with another term to determine the actual form of government, such as a matriarchy combined with feudalism would be women who who have sworn fealty to another more militarily powerful woman are the government; or patriarchy combined with magoracy where only male mages run the government. Also sometimes refered to gynarchy.
In sexual identity academia, matriarchy is considered to be rule by a counsel of women although no reference is usually made as to how this council is to be selected.
Government by the few. A small group of people are the leaders, or the leaders are drawn from the small group. This small group also determines who will remain or join the small group.
A government in which wealth is the primary requirement for being a leader in the government or to be a voter. This form of government can be combined with a republic, matriarchy, patriarchy or bureacracy. If the country is
A system of government in which the church, or clergy, also run the civil government.
A dynastic ruler is a system where a specific relative to the current ruler is the heir to that office. On Earth, most dynastic systems passed from father to eldest son. If there was no son, it went to the eldest daughter. Typical example is the English crown which passes from the King (or Queen) to the eldest son or daughter.
The right to vote. A person with the franchise is permitted to vote or otherwise fully participate in the political system. Persons without the franchise might have political influence such as spouses of those that have the franchise.