Adapted from: www.usconstitution.net/consttop_sys.html#types

Think of a Political System as the type of government in the country. The following are the main types of government systems:

Anarchy
Anarchy is the complete lack of a political system. In a way, it is the state of nature, where there are no rules and the strongest have power over the weakest. Though anarchy can happen following civil war or natural disaster, it cannot go on forever.  Eventually some sort of leader will arise and some sense of order eventually develops, even if it is brutal.  An example is Somalia.
Dictatorship – rule by one.
In this government system, one person controls all branches of government. In a dictatorship, one person has absolute power. Though there is typically a military and even a bureaucracy (like an administration) in such a government. Usually there are laws which people have to obey but often the dictator and people high in the bureaucracy or military do whatever they want. The dictator often becomes or tries to act like a god or a “cult of personality” so that people will fear him or worship him and do whatever he wants.  Dissent (disagreement with authority) is not allowed. Examples include Hitler's Germany and Kim's North Korea. Dictatorial systems are often based on military power, and the term "military dictatorship" is used, like with Myanmar (Burma).
Autocracy - rule by one.
In this government system, one person controls all branches of government. An autocracy is the same as a dictatorship - but the term is often used to describe a government not quite as bad as a "dictatorship" An autocrat may have less a “cult of personality” than a dictator and in some cases, such a government system may be necessary to keep peace in a country. Dissent is still not allowed but the government is not widely feared and is often praised. Such an Autocrat can be called a benevolent dictator by some. Cuba is considered an autocracy by some, though many in the United States consider it a dictatorship.
Monarchy - rule by one.
In this government system, one person controls all branches of government. A monarchy is best described in the same way as a dictatorship: rule by one person who has absolute power but there are two key differences: dictatorship is used as a bad term, and monarchy is seen as much more benign (not so bad). Historically, however, kings and queens have been as brutal as many modern dictators. The second major difference is the transfer of power and acceptance by the people. In a dictatorship, power is often not transferred at all - the death of the dictator means the end of the dictatorship; or it is transferred to a hand-picked successor. People only accept dictatorship out of fear. Monarchies usually have hereditary systems of succession (the next ruler), such that a monarch's first-born son becomes king upon the monarch's death. (The British used to say “The king is dead, long live the king”) Past and present examples include Saudi Arabia, England, and Thailand.
Direct Democracy – rule by the many.
The word "democracy" is used all the time today. Strictly speaking, a democracy is a system where the people rule. Each decision that needs to be made is made by the people as a whole. Such systems can only really happen in a small population because everyone cannot participate actively in government.  Democracy has its roots in Ancient Greece.
Representative democracy – rule by the many.
As pure or direct democracy is impossible for a country, a workable form quickly evolved. In a representative or indirect democracy, representatives of large groups of people are selected and these representatives meet to conduct the government for the people. The selection of representatives is typically by election, where a selection of candidates is chosen according rules adopted by the people. An election takes place and by majority vote, one of the candidates is chosen. Many if not most countries in the world claim they are indirect democracies. The United States, Canada, Mexico and the countries of Western Europe are a few of the world’s indirect democracies.  If the people have no say in who gets to be a candidate or did not adopt the rules for choosing a candidate, then it is not a democracy.  Just being able to vote does not make a country democratic.  Communist countries often hold elections but candidates are chosen by the communist party and no one else can run. Cuba and China are examples though China has changed a lot. 
Oligarchy - Rule by the few.
An oligarchy is, literally, rule by a few. Oligarchies are often the evolution of dictatorships from rule by a single person to rule by a small group of people. There are several different types of oligarchies:
Aristocracy - Rule by the few. In an aristocracy, the upper class of citizens holds the power. Heredity, or rule by right of birth, plays a large role in continuing power and who is an aristocrat. Usually only those born into the aristocratic class can hold power and wealth.
Plutocracy - Rule by the few. A plutocracy is rule by a few, wealthy, elite group. It is like an aristocracy but there is no right of birth – you just have to be rich.
Theocracy - Rule by the few. A theocracy is rule of a few based on religion - the group is ruled by the group's spiritual leaders. Religion is a powerful human phenomenon, and religious leaders can often exert great influence over the group's actions. Examples include many modern Islamic states, such as Iran or Afghanistan under the Taliban.
Divisions of Government
Regardless of the type of system used by any nation or society, there is a very typical set of divisions in governments: the executive, the legislature, the judiciary, the military, and the church. In some systems, one or more of these divisions is not present - some dictatorships will have no legislature, for example, and many countries, like the United States, have no state church and the military may be under the executive. In most modern democracies, there are only the first three divisions of government.
The Executive: The executive branch of government enforces or carries out the laws created by the legislative branch. The head of the executive is usually called the president or prime minister.
The Legislative: The legislative branch makes the laws. Legislatures usually consist of many members chosen by the people of the country. There are several basic models of legislature that have been and are used in the world.
The most common system is the parliamentary system. In this type of system, the nation is broken up into small units, divided by geography, ethnicity, or population. Each unit elects one or more members of parliament (the legislative branch) from a number of candidates. After Election Day, the party with the majority of members becomes the Majority Party and chooses the Prime Minister (who becomes the head of the executive) and his or her Cabinet. If no party has a majority, parties negotiate and form coalitions. Once a coalition is established, the government is formed. Coalitions are often fragile because no one agrees.  Parliamentary legislatures remain in power for a fixed term or until a vote of no confidence is taken when no one agrees and the majority loses the vote.
In another type of parliamentary setup, there are no political divisions - national elections are held and people vote for a party. When the votes are counted, seats in the parliament are given on a percentage basis to each party. The party then decides who to appoint to parliament to represent that party. Parliament then appoints the prime minister but they have to agree unless one party has more than 50% in parliament. In this type of system, minority voices are more likely to be heard and coalition governments more likely to be formed.
In a system like that of the United States, members of the legislature hold their office for a certain fixed term but the head of the executive (the President) is chosen by the people and not by the legislators. Though parties play a major role in the selection of legislative leaders, individual members of the legislature are free to vote however they wish without fear of bringing down the government as in a parliamentary system.
Another common system involves a legislature composed of one party. Such systems are common in communist nations, so examples include the USSR's Supreme Soviet and China's National People's Congress. The one party in a communist system is called the peoples’ party and is supposed to represent all of the people and make almost all of the decisions that affect peoples’ lives, supposedly for the benefit of everyone as a whole. Supposedly there are no social classes, no rich and no poor and everyone’s basic needs are met.  Dissent is not allowed. Communist countries usually end up being a form of dictatorship.
The Judicial: Generally, the judicial branch interprets the laws of the nation (i.e. the judges). Because of the nature of law enforcement, the judicial branch often has the largest membership. In the United States, for example, there is one executive (two, if the Vice President is counted), 535 legislators, and thousands of federal judges.
Selection of judges is another point of comparison. Generally, the selection process is divided between appointed and elected. Appointed judges are thought to be free from political pressure, and thus are able to best represent the people and the law. Elected judges are thought to best represent the will of the people. Terms vary from life to several years, in both systems of selection.
The Military; Almost every society in known history has or has had a military structure. It is a constant in human history that societies will fight over resources, and to fight effectively requires a trained class of persons - soldiers.
In some nations, the military is a dictatorship, and the head of government is a military officer. This is in contrast to other dictatorships where the military is completely subservient to the ruler.  In the United States, the President is the supreme commander of the armed forces.  However, he cannot declare war without the support of the legislature.
Military dictatorships are not uncommon even today. Some world leaders came to power as the result of military coups. The leader may be a single person, such as Libya's Colonel Qadhafi or a junta, a committee, as in Myanmar (Burma).
The Church: In some nations, the church has no role in government, as in the United States. However, in other states, even those that are not theocracies, the church has a great deal of influence. Note that it must be distinguished between a formal national church and personal religious beliefs. While the United States has no national church, individual leaders often talk about religion but religion has no voice in government. This is in contrast, however, to those nations where the national church has a voice in the government.

Comparative Political Systems Questions.  On you own paper:

Part A: Define each different political system above in one sentence not to exceed twenty words.
Part B: Define the bolded key terms in terms of political systems (i.e. in the context of this handout.)