A dualistic monarchy is a subtype of constitutional monarchy in which the ruler retains extensive powers of power, limited by the constitution. Power is exercised by one person. This form of government is rarely used today and has the status of a political rudiment.
In a dualistic monarchy, the ruler formally coordinates his actions with other representatives of power, for example, with the parliament. But in practice, he can bring any of his decisions to life and make them alone. Since the monarch chooses all the employees of the ruling apparatus and advisers himself and, at the slightest disobedience, can dismiss them.
This form of government got its name due to the fact that in the power structure of the country, in addition to the monarch, there is another important person - the first minister. The essence of such a double power implies that all orders of the monarch must be confirmed by the minister and only after that be put into effect.
However, the first minister can only be appointed by the monarch himself, and he can also remove him from office at will. Thus, a dualistic monarchy is often reduced to absolute power, passed down from generation to generation through a dynasty.
The history of the dualistic monarchy
The dualistic monarchy has historically developed as a transitional form from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy. Its structure presupposes the presence of a constitution. Parliament adopts laws, and government is in the hands of the monarch. It is he who appoints the executive ministers who are responsible only to him.
The government in reality usually obeys the will of the monarch, but formally bears double responsibility to the parliament and the monarch. The peculiarity of the system of government is that, although the power of the monarch is limited by the constitution, but also by virtue of constitutional norms, and by virtue of traditions, the sole ruler retains broad powers. This puts him at the center of the political system of the state.
The prevailing point of view among historians is that the dualistic monarchy is a kind of compromise between the absolute power of the monarch and the people's desire to participate in the political life of the state. Often, such regimes become an intermediate link between the republic and the absolute monarchy (dictatorship).
Under a dualistic monarchy, the ruler has the right of absolute veto, which means that he can block any law and, in general, without its approval, it will not come into force. In addition, the monarch can issue emergency decrees that have the force of law and even higher, and most importantly, he has the right to dissolve parliament. All this in many ways actually replaces the dualistic monarchy with an absolute one.
Currently, such a state apparatus is almost never found. Most countries have chosen a presidential-parliamentary type of government, supported by the voice of the people.
Countries with a dualistic monarchy
Some states today remain faithful to the historically established traditions in the management system. Examples of dualistic monarchy can be found among them. There are such states on all continents of the Eastern Hemisphere. In particular, in Europe they include:
- Luxembourg,
- Sweden,
- Monaco,
- Denmark,
- Liechtenstein.
In the Middle East:
- Jordan,
- Bahrain,
- Kuwait,
- United Arab Emirates.
In the Far East, you can name Japan. A number of these countries are simultaneously attributed by political scientists to an absolute monarchy, where all the executive and legislative powers are in the hands of one ruler. It is worth noting that in some states the concepts of constitutional and dualistic monarchy are considered synonymous. For example, these are the countries: Sweden, Denmark, Luxembourg. In the countries of Asia and Africa: Morocco, Nepal and Jordan, there is also a dualistic monarchy.
But still, today a political system in which the power of the sovereign is more significant than the parliamentary one can be called a rather rare phenomenon. Monarchies as such either, as in the countries of Europe, turned into a decoration, or simply disappeared from the political map of the world.
Historians name several countries where the dualistic principle of state governance actually existed at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. This, for example, was in many important countries: Italy, Prussia, Austria-Hungary. However, such systems of power have been swept away by revolutions and world wars.
Even such recognized dualistic monarchies as Morocco and Jordan, according to political analysts, tend to tend towards absolutism. However, this can be explained by the significant role of traditions and customs in a Muslim country. In Jordan, for example, the government is accountable to parliament, but if parliament wants to remove the cabinet, it will need the king's approval. This means that the monarch has all the leverage to ignore the opinion of the legislature, if necessary.
Retrospective
In the Russian Empire, a dualistic monarchy was also established for a short time. This happened in 1905, when the authority of Emperor Nicholas II fell sharply. The decline in popularity was due to the defeat in the war against Japan and armed uprisings among the population, which ended in unprecedented bloodshed. Under pressure from the public, Nicholas II agreed to give up his absolute power and established a parliament.
The period of the dualistic monarchy in Russia lasted until 1917. This was the decade between the two revolutions. All this time, conflicts regularly flared up between the legislative and executive branches. Backed by Prime Minister Pyotr Stolypin, Nicholas II has dissolved parliament on more than one occasion. Only the State Duma of the third convocation worked through the entire period allotted by law until the February Revolution.
The most prominent representative of the dualistic monarchy in the past is the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This form of government was established from 1867 until the collapse of the empire. The peculiarity of this state was that it was divided into two parts, autonomous from each other, with their own rules and laws.
Looking even more deeply into the centuries, you can find a similar form of government throughout Europe and Asia. The dualistic monarchy was like a transitional stage from the absolute power of the throne to a parliamentary system that lasted for many centuries.
Stability of the dualistic monarchy system
The stability of the dualistic monarchy system is based on the division of power. Most often, in this case, the dualistic and parliamentary monarchies are compared, the features of which are similar. However, if in a parliamentary monarchy the separation of powers is full, then in a dualistic one it is curtailed. When the monarch interferes in the work of parliament or blocks its decisions, then in this way he deprives the people of representation in the political life of the state.
It is precisely this blurring of the dualistic monarchy that disturbs its stability. Therefore, such regimes usually do not exist in the historical perspective for a long time. When powers are divided, a struggle usually occurs between the freedom-loving part of society and the conservative institution of the monarchy. Such a confrontation ends with the victory of only one of the parties.
