Monarchy

A type of government in which the rule of law is vested permanently in a single individual. The term monarch is popularly reserved for nations where there is a hereditary line of succession for leadership. There are different types of monarchies; among them are elective monarchies, in which monarchs are elected into power rather than being born into it, and constitutional monarchies, in which according to the nation's constitution, power is shared by the monarch with a legislative and/or executive body. The notion of monarchy is derived through theocracy, the earliest form of statehood, where a high priest would rule or a king under the auspices of God. This concept developed into the 17th-century doctrine of the divine right of kings, meaning a king's rule was ordained by God. Most monarchies were abolished in the 19th century. Countries that retain monarchies (with governing authority) at present include Brunei, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Swaziland, Jordan, and Morocco.