<Tr> <Td> Federation </Td> <Td> A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self - governing states or regions under a central (federal) government . In a federation, the self - governing status of the component states, as well as the division of power between them and the central government, is typically constitutionally entrenched and may not be altered by a unilateral decision of either party, the states or the federal political body . Alternatively, federation is a form of government in which sovereign power is formally divided between a central authority and a number of constituent regions so that each region retains some degree of control over its internal affairs . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Confederation </Td> <Td> A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign states, united for purposes of common action often in relation to other states . Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issues, such as defense, foreign relations, internal trade or currency, with the general government being required to provide support for all its members . Confederalism represents a main form of inter-governmentalism, this being defined as' any form of interaction between states which takes place on the basis of sovereign independence or government . </Td> </Tr> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Term </Th> <Th> Description </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Democracy </Td> <Td> Democracy, meaning "rule of the people", is a system of government in which the citizens exercise power directly or elect representatives from among themselves to form a governing body, such as a parliament . Democracy is sometimes referred to as "rule of the majority". Democracy is a system of processing conflicts in which outcomes depend on what participants do, but no single force controls what occurs and its outcomes . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Oligarchy </Td> <Td> Oligarchy, meaning "rule of the few", is a form of power structure in which power rests with a small number of people . These people might be distinguished by nobility, wealth, family ties, education or corporate, religious or military control . Such states are often controlled by families who typically pass their influence from one generation to the next, but inheritance is not a necessary condition for the application of this term . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Autocracy </Td> <Td> Autocracy is a system of government in which supreme power (social and political) is concentrated in the hands of one person, whose decisions are subject to neither external legal restraints nor regularized mechanisms of popular control (except perhaps for the implicit threat of a coup d'état or mass insurrection). Absolute monarchy (such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Brunei and Swaziland) and dictatorships (such as Cuba, China, and North Korea) are the main modern day forms of autocracy . </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Term </Th> <Th> Description </Th> </Tr>

A political system that is ruled by a few is called