🌐 Models of Government
How is power organized in a country? Who is head of state versus head of government? Which offices are elected, appointed, or inherited? This is a living, comparative atlas — explore and contrast the systems of the world, aligned on a shared spine so equivalent roles line up across very different designs. Starting with three; built to scale to every country.
Structural comparison
Each column is a country; each row a universal tier of authority. A country that lacks a tier shows an empty slot — that absence is itself the lesson (e.g. the US has no monarch; its President fills both head-of-state and head-of-government). Node colour = how the office is filled; ring thickness = real power.
Click any node to inspect that office — its role, how it’s filled, its term, and a sourced fact.
Canada
Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy
United Kingdom
Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
United States
Federal presidential constitutional republic
Compare by role
The same canonical role, side by side. Hyphen means the country has no equivalent office.
| Tier | 🇨🇦 Canada | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 🇺🇸 United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head of State | The Crown (King) Monarch / Head of State Hereditary | The Crown (King) Monarch / Head of State Hereditary | President Head of State Indirectly elected |
| Head of Government | Prime Minister Head of Government Indirectly elected | Prime Minister Head of Government Indirectly elected | President Head of Government Indirectly elected |
| Upper House | Senate Upper chamber Appointed · 105 seats | House of Lords Upper chamber Mixed · 800 seats | Senate Upper chamber Directly elected · 100 seats |
| Lower House | House of Commons Lower chamber (MPs) Directly elected · 343 seats | House of Commons Lower chamber (MPs) Directly elected · 650 seats | House of Representatives Lower chamber Directly elected · 435 seats |
| Sub-national | Provinces & Territories Provincial legislatures (MLA/MPP/MNA) Directly elected | Devolved Legislatures Scotland / Wales / NI assemblies Directly elected | States State legislatures & governors Directly elected |
| Local | Municipal Councils & Mayors Local government Directly elected | Local Councils Local government Directly elected | Counties, Cities & Towns Local government Directly elected |
🇨🇦 Canada
Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchyCanada is a constitutional monarchy with a Westminster-style parliament. The monarch (shared with the UK) is head of state, represented in Canada by the Governor General. Real executive power rests with the Prime Minister, who leads the party commanding confidence in the elected House of Commons. Power is divided federally between Ottawa and the provinces.
Same monarch as the UK; almost entirely ceremonial in Canada.
source ↗Not directly elected as PM; leads the party that commands the House.
source ↗Appointed by the GG on the PM’s advice; reviews legislation ("sober second thought").
source ↗Elected by first-past-the-post; the government must hold its confidence.
source ↗10 provinces + 3 territories; constitutionally sovereign in their domains (health, education).
source ↗Created by provinces ("creatures of the province"); powers delegated, not constitutional.
source ↗🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchyThe UK is the original Westminster system: a constitutional monarchy where the King is head of state and the Prime Minister, leader of the Commons majority, is head of government. Unlike Canada it is unitary, not federal — but it has devolved legislatures (Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland). Its upper house, the Lords, is unelected (largely appointed, with some remaining hereditary peers).
Source of the Westminster model Canada inherited; ceremonial in practice.
source ↗Leader of the party commanding the Commons; appointed by the monarch.
source ↗Unelected: life peers (appointed), bishops, and remaining hereditary peers. Can delay, not block.
source ↗Elected by first-past-the-post; supreme chamber (Parliament Acts).
source ↗Powers DEVOLVED (granted, reversible) — not federal/sovereign like Canadian provinces.
source ↗Mix of unitary, county, district authorities; some directly elected mayors.
source ↗🇺🇸 United States
Federal presidential constitutional republicThe US is a presidential federal republic — a sharp contrast to Westminster. There is no monarch: the President is BOTH head of state and head of government, directly (via the Electoral College) and separately elected from the legislature. Congress (Senate + House) is a co-equal branch, not subordinate to the executive. Power is split by strict separation of powers and federalism between Washington and the states.
No monarch — the President is also head of state. Chosen via the Electoral College.
source ↗Separately elected from Congress — not dependent on legislative confidence.
source ↗Directly elected (since 1913); 2 per state regardless of population. Powerful & co-equal.
source ↗Directly elected, apportioned by population. Originates revenue bills.
source ↗50 states with reserved powers (10th Amendment); own constitutions, mostly bicameral.
source ↗Highly varied; many directly elected mayors, councils, sheriffs, school boards.
source ↗