Monarchien

In Political Science the main difference between monarchies and republics today is of minor importance - both forms of government can be either democratic or autocratic. Despite fundamental differences within the state form (hereditary vs. elective monarchy, absolute, limited, and representative monarchy) there are some important commonalities: The monarch as the head of state usually reigns by hereditary legitimacy and for a lifetime. Very often the monarch wields a significant symbolic power from which emanates the stability of the system. This volume focuses on the domination and functioning of monarchies from an international comparative perspective. This involves on the one hand the historical development, on the other hand the contemporary forms, competencies, and modes of government of today's 27 monarchies worldwide.