Government types vocabulary in Spanish, including key terms for different political systems and structures.
Understanding the different types of government is essential for discussing politics and history. This page introduces you to the most common government types and related terms in Spanish.
Democracy
A democracy is a system where the power lies with the people, who can vote to elect their leaders.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | Masculine/Feminine | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| democracia | democracias | F | democracy | democracies | España es una democracia. | Spain is a democracy. |
Republic
A republic is a form of government where the country is considered a "public matter," and officials are elected.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | Masculine/Feminine | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| república | repúblicas | F | republic | republics | México es una república. | Mexico is a republic. |
México es una ___.
Mexico is a ___.
república
Mexico is a 'república' (republic) in Spanish. It is not a democracy, monarchy, or dictatorship.
Monarchy
A monarchy is a government ruled by a king or queen, often inherited by family lineage.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | Masculine/Feminine | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| monarquía | monarquías | F | monarchy | monarchies | El Reino Unido es una monarquía. | The United Kingdom is a monarchy. |
Dictatorship
A dictatorship is a government controlled by one person with absolute power, often taken by force.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | Masculine/Feminine | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| dictadura | dictaduras | F | dictatorship | dictatorships | Cuba tuvo una dictadura. | Cuba had a dictatorship. |
Communism
Communism is a system where all property is publicly owned, and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | Masculine/Feminine | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| comunismo | — | M | communism | — | Cuba practicó el comunismo. | Cuba practiced communism. |
Cuba practicó el ___.
Cuba practiced ___.
comunismo
Cuba practicó el 'comunismo' (communism). It did not practice socialism, capitalism, or democracy.
Socialism
Socialism is a system where the government controls major industries, and wealth is distributed more equally.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | Masculine/Feminine | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| socialismo | — | M | socialism | — | Venezuela sigue el socialismo. | Venezuela follows socialism. |
Oligarchy
An oligarchy is a government ruled by a small group of powerful people.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | Masculine/Feminine | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| oligarquía | oligarquías | F | oligarchy | oligarchies | Algunos países han tenido oligarquías. | Some countries have had oligarchies. |
Theocracy
A theocracy is a government ruled by religious leaders or based on religious laws.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | Masculine/Feminine | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| teocracia | teocracias | F | theocracy | theocracies | Irán es una teocracia. | Iran is a theocracy. |
Anarchy
Anarchy is the absence of government or political authority.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | Masculine/Feminine | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| anarquía | — | F | anarchy | — | Después del conflicto, hubo anarquía. | After the conflict, there was anarchy. |
Which Spanish word means 'anarchy'?
anarquía
The Spanish word for 'anarchy' is 'anarquía.' The other options mean 'dictatorship,' 'democracy,' and 'republic' respectively.
Conclusion
These are the basic types of government you’ll encounter in Spanish discussions about politics and history. Understanding these terms will help you follow the news, read historical texts, and participate in conversations with confidence.
Flashcards (1 of 9)
- Masculine/Feminine: F
- English Singular: democracy
- English Plural: democracies
- English Example: Spain is a democracy.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
