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An absolute monarchy is a form of government in which one person, usually a king or queen, holds all the power.

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Diagram of what an absolute monarch has the power of and can control

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Absolute Monarchy was popular in 18th-century Europe

It was originally promoted by saying the monarch who ruled the land were messengers of God and that God created Monarchy and going against god is a "sin".

Monarchs of an absolute monarchy are not questioned or limited by any written law, legislature, court, economic sanction, religion, custom, or electoral process because their opinion and decisions are the only ones that have a say in anything.

This form of government is also a dictatorship

The position of monarch is handed down from parent to eldest child. (Usually father to eldest son)

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Example: France - King Louis XIV (1643-1715)

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Example: France - King Louis XIV (1643-1715)

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Louis XIV ruled for 72 years, until his death in 1715, making his reign the longest of any European monarch.

Louis XIV’s reign was important in French history.

He was a strong-willed ruler who was determined to make his subjects obey him and to make his kingdom the predominant power in Europe.

He came closer than any other French king to making the absolute monarchy a reality.

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The kings word was law

He had access to a standing royal army that was loyal only to him.

The largest part of this rule was invested in the army which got larger and more powerful. Which made it capable of becoming even more effective at collecting taxes.

His actions and absolutism was justified by a number of eminent philosophers from the time: Bodin, Bousset and Hobbes.

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Pros:

There's no need to get approval from a legislative body so things can go quickly

Crimes rates are lower

Strict enforcement of laws

Often harsh physical punishments for those who break the law

The cost of the government is usually much lower than in democracies or republics

Cons:

There is no say in who the monarch will be so if they are tyrannical then you can only take action to remove them through civil disturbance or rebellion

The military can be used domestically to enforce laws, put down protests, and hunt down people who disagree/critics of the monarch

Because the power is given by inheritance, there is no guaranteed consistency in leadership between monarchs

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A constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a nonelected monarch, usually a king or queen, acts as head of state within the limits of a written or unwritten constitution.

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Diagram of how constitutional monarchy works

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The governing power is shared between the monarch and a constitutionally organized government

A legislative body overseen by a prime minister has the power

The legislative body represents the desires and opinions of the people

While the monarch may be recognized as the symbolic head of state and the government might run under the name of the king or queen, the prime minister actually governs the country

The monarch's political power is very limited and they are used mostly for ceremonial purposes

“A sovereign who reigns but does not rule”

The monarch, depending on the constitution, can disband the current parliamentary government or give royal consent to the actions of the parliament

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Example: Great Britain - British Parliament

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Example: Great Britain - British Parliament

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The Parliament is separate from the Government – it’s made up of the House of Commons, the House of Lords, and the Monarch.

The Parliaments' role is to look over the UK Government; make new laws and change existing ones; raise and debate key issues and; check and improve Government spending.

The House of Commons is where people who have been elected at a General Election work, as MPs (Members of Parliament).  Everyone in the UK is represented by an elected Member of Parliament, who splits their time between working in the House of Commons, working in their constituency, and working for their political party.

The House of Lords members, (Peers), are mostly appointed and serve for life rather than elected. They are often chosen because of their achievements and experience and many do not belong to a political party.  The Lords share the task of making and shaping laws and challenging the work of the Government.

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‘Green Paper’ process - published on their website, and aimed at encouraging debate and feedback. A Green Paper the first step towards introducing a Bill into Parliament.

'White Paper' process - This is more detailed and will often form the basis for a Bill to be introduced into Parliament.

Bills can be introduced in either House and will go through set stages in each.  A Bill has to be approved by both Houses before it receives Royal Assent and then becomes an Act of Parliament.

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Pros and Cons of Constitutional Monarchy

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Pros and Cons of Constitutional Monarchy

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Pros:

Has a checks and balances system

Makes sure that the monarch doesn’t have too much power

Political change is possible

Having a regularly changing legislative body makes it easier for changes to happen in government

The monarch is apolitical

They can’t sway the public's opinion on certain political people and push their views onto the people of the country

Cons:

Things tend to happen slowly

Because of so many people and layers to the government things have to be approved by multiple people before they are put into place

Can be hard to change

Because of the complexity of its structure and its need for traditions it's hard to change. It's even more difficult to change if there isn’t a written constitution

Some see the monarchy being a sign of oppression

They think that the monarchy is stopping the legislative body from getting anything done and they want to get rid of the monarchy completely

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Absolute Monarchy:
https://www.thoughtco.com/absolute-monarchy-definition-and-examples-5111327
https://www.historydefined.net/absolute-monarchies-in-europe/

Constitutional Monarchy:
https://www.thoughtco.com/constitutional-monarchy-definition-examples-4582648
https://www.history.com/news/what-is-the-queens-role-in-british-government
https://vittana.org/13-key-constitutional-monarchy-pros-and-cons

France:
https://history.as.uky.edu/reign-louis-xiv-1643-1715-overview#:~:text=Born%20in%201638%2C%20Louis%20XIV,young%20great%2Dgrandson%20Louis%20XV
https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/france-in-the-seventeenth-century/absolutism-and-france/

UK:
https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/publications/uk-parliament/