Commonwealth: a community founded for the common good.

Oligarchy: power effectively rests with a small number of people.
a. US is an oligarchy Northwestern study concludes
b. German Oligarchs financed Hitler.

Polyarchy: decentralized rule where many smaller government
tailored to the needs and desires of the local populations.

Fascism: a form of radical authoritarian nationalism considered by some
to be right-wing as it is social conservatism and uses authoritarian means
to oppose egalitarianism.

Totalitarianism: the state holds total authority over society and 
seeks to control all aspects of public and private life.

Libertarianism wants to limit power.

Dictatorship has rule by a person.

Federation are organizations composed of states
coming together for a single common purpose

Republicanism, Federalism, and Democracy

Republic government exists when a constitutionally determined government of elected leaders operating according to laws to protect individual rights which include equality, liberty, property and  necessity of consent.
a. There are many application of Republican concepts. 
b. What constitutes a  right and the relative importance of rights has been continually debated
b. John Adams "a government, in which all men, rich and poor, magistrates and subjects, officers and people, masters and servants, the first citizen and the last, are equally subject to the laws."
c. In United States v. Cruikshank (1875) the Supreme Court ruled that "equal citizens" was inherent to the republic ideal.
d. Colonial America developed in an untamed wilderness far from a  mother country. This was a  unique historical circumstance resulted in the concept of American Exceptionalism.
 

Federalism: divides powers between member units so that political power is constitutionally decentralized between at least two units. Each level has some final authority and has some areas of self government.
a. Federalism in the United States protects states rights with a concept  of Dual Federalism, but hardships caused by the Great Depression led some toward the concept of Cooperative Federalism.
b. A conservative look at Federalism video
c. The political Revolution of 1800 entailed Jefferson's Republicans to take over for the Federalist Washington, Hamilton and Adams. It began a 200 plus year battle concerning Federal Government power.

 
Democracy exists when government power resides in a constitutionally determined electorate, each with an equal say in determining majority will. Political decisions are such that majority's power is absolute and unlimited.

Minority rights are protected by the constitution. The most difficult issue concerning democracy success has always been controlling Majority Factions as states in The Federalist Papers.