STATES
This chapter
considers the major types of state in the modern world starting with
Crick’s distinction between republican, autocratic and totalitarian
states. It discusses in more detail the different forms of representative
democracy; military and authoritarian government; fascist and
communist government. Relationships between central, regional and
local states are analysed including the likelihood of a European
regional ‘super state’.
Types of state
States vary a great deal in their organisation and in their concept of
the role of government. Bernard Crick has suggested a good start-
ing point for the classification of states which brings out some of
these differences. He distinguishes between republican, autocratic
and totalitarian states. These categories are, however, extremely
‘broad-brush’ as can be seen from the variety of examples quoted in
Box 6.1.