- Aristocracy (Classic Greek Aristocracy) - " ruling of the best".
- Aristocracy - "rule by the wealthy and well-connected".
- Anarchy - "rule by individual"
- Anarcho-capitalism - economy organized around private property
- Anarcho-syndicalism - economy organized around worker control
- Autocracy - "rule by a single individual".
- Dictatorship - rule by leadership unrestrained by law
- Monarchy - rule by a single individual elected by ancestry
- Absolute monarchy - monarch's power is unrestrained by law
- Caliphate - Aristocratic-Democracy
- Constitutional monarchy - monarch's power is restrained by law
- Democracy - "rule by the people"
- Representative democracy - the people elect the officers of government
- Republic - representative democracy with elected head of state, as opposed to appointed or hereditary
- Single-party democracy - one party dominates the government
- Two-party democracy - two parties dominate the government
- Direct democracy - the people themselves vote on the law
- Ancient (Athenian) democracy having three pillars, Isokratia (every citizen has the same power), Isigoria (all citizens have equal right to be heard) and Isonomia (every citizen is equal in front of the laws which are always decided using majority rule).
- Liberal democracy - the people's power through democracy is checked by law, often by means of a written consitution
- Despotism - absolute rule by a single authority (could fall under autocracy or oligarchy)
- Enlighted despotism - despot uses absolute authority for the betterment of society
- Meritocracy - "rule by those who most deserve to rule".
- Oligarchy - "rule by the few".
- Plutocracy - "rule by the wealthy".
- Theocracy - "rule by religious leaders, ostensibly on behalf of their deity or deities"
- Christian state - ostensibly guided by Christian principles
- Islamic republic - ostensibly guided by Islamic principles
- Tyranny - General description of a bad regime
- Technocracy - rule by the scientifically educated, or ostensibly guided by scientific principles
A better breakdown on Wikipedia with more examples and expanded definition
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Form_of..._of_government