From the beginning of the civilized world, each civilization has found that in order to function effectively, some form of rule or chain of command is needed. As this concept has evolved throughout history, it has gained the generalized term of "government". Governments are classified in many ways, from a number of different standpoints creating a difficult task of finding a single definition for the term.

From a totalitarian dictatorship to an autonomous collective, there are many different classifications of government.

One of the most familiar classifications is that which distinguishes monarchic from republican governments. Republican forms of government, such as the U.S. and Switzerland, comprise unions of states in which the power of the central or national government is limited by the constitutionally established powers of the constituent subdivisions. In other words each of the constituents holds powers that are constitutionally protected from the central government. In monarchic states, however, such as Great Britain and Belgium, the constituent subdivisions of the state are subordinate to the authority of the national government. These two forms of government constitute the most generalized and widely accepted systems in the modern world.

Due to the fact that there are many individual governments that would fall under the categories of either republican or monarchic, each has sub-classifications that vary greatly throughout the world. In a parliamentary government, such as Great Britain, India, and Canada, the executive branch is subordinate to the legislature. In this form the executive branch though still important and functional, takes on a more "ceremonial" role. In presidential governments, such as in the U.S., the executive is independent of the legislature, although many of the executive's actions are subject to legislative review through a system of checks and balances. For example, though the president of the United States' actions may be checked by congress, he also maintains a check over them through his power to veto any legislation he sees fit. Still other classifications hinge on varying governmental forms and powers among the nations of the world.

In the theory of political science, government is charged with the responsibility of maintaining the common welfare of the individuals over which it exerts control. Throughout history, this has been attempted in a number of different ways. The earliest forms of government were based primarily on a social group's opinions of "what was right and what was wrong" either socially or morally. They achieved their order mostly through group pressure. As governments have progressed into what they are today, they have become much more institutionalized. Instead of having a set of values that are deemed correct, and those deemed wrong, their rule allows for individualism but rests on defined legal bases, imposing penalties on violators of the law, and using force to establish themselves so that they may perform their functions.

When classifying governments, a great many differences can be pointed out solely because of social and economic differences from country to country. Many of the world's conflicts have arisen through the dispute of what may be the "ideal government." However, it can be seen by comparison that each of these systems finds its roots in a common beginning.