Which term describes a form of government usually a hereditary monarchy with no legal limits on power?

• A. Oligarchy
• B. Constitutional monarchy
• C. Democracy
• D. Absolutism

Answer: (D)

Absolutism describes a form of government where a single ruler holds concentrated, unchecked power, often in a hereditary monarchy with no legal limits on authority. In these systems, the ruler determines laws, controls the military, and governs without constitutional or parliamentary constraints, keeping authority centralized and unquestioned. This contrasts with oligarchy, where power rests with a few; with constitutional monarchy, where a constitution and parliament cap the monarch’s powers; and with democracy, where legitimacy comes from the people and their elected representatives. So the description of a hereditary monarchy with no legal limits on power fits absolutism.