Editing Monarchy (section)

===Powers of the monarch===
[[File:Salman of Saudi Arabia - 2020 (49563590728) (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|King [[Salman of Saudi Arabia]] is an absolute monarch.]]
* In an [[absolute monarchy]], the monarch rules as an [[Autocracy|autocrat]], with absolute power over the state and government—for example, the right to [[rule by decree]], promulgate [[law]]s, and impose [[punishment]]s.
* In a [[constitutional monarchy]], the monarch's power is subject to a [[constitution]]. In most current constitutional monarchies, the monarch is mainly a ceremonial [[figurehead]] [[symbol]] of national unity and state continuity. Although nominally [[sovereignty|sovereign]], the electorate (through the [[legislature]]) exercises political sovereignty. Constitutional monarchs' [[Power (social and political)|political power]] is limited. Typical monarchical powers include granting [[pardon]]s, granting [[Honor system|honours]], and [[reserve power]]s, e.g. to dismiss the [[prime minister]], refuse to dissolve parliament, or [[veto]] legislation ("withhold [[Royal assent|Royal Assent]]"). They often also have privileges of inviolability and [[sovereign immunity]]. A monarch's powers and influence will depend on tradition, precedent, popular opinion, and [[law]].
** [[Constitutional monarchy|Semi-constitutional monarchies]] exhibit fewer parliamentary powers or simply monarchs with more authority.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ecpr.eu/Events/PaperDetails.aspx?PaperID=30190&EventID=95 |title=Semi presidential systems and semi constitutional monarchies: A historical assessment of executive power-sharing |last1=Anckar|first1=Carsten|last2=Akademi|first2=Åbo |date=2016|publisher=European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) |access-date=2019-08-14}}</ref> The term "parliamentary monarchy" may be used to differentiate from semi-constitutional monarchies.
* Monarchical reign has often been linked with [[Military dictatorship|military authority]]. In the late [[Roman Empire]], the [[Praetorian Guard]] several times deposed [[Roman emperor]]s and installed new emperors. Similarly, in the [[Abbasid Caliphate]], the [[Ghilman]]s (slave soldiers) deposed Caliphs once they became prominent, allowing new ones to come to power. The Hellenistic kings of [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|Macedon]] and of [[Epirus]] were elected by the army, which was similar in composition to the ''[[Ecclesia (ancient Greece)|ecclesia]]'' of [[Democracy|democracies]], the council of all free citizens; military service was often linked with citizenship among the male members of the royal house. The military has dominated the monarch in modern [[Thailand]] and in [[History of Japan|medieval Japan]] (where a hereditary military chief, the ''[[Shogun|shōgun]]'', was the ''de facto'' ruler, although the [[Emperor of Japan|Japanese emperor]] nominally reigned). In [[Fascist Italy (1922–1943)|Fascist Italy]], the [[House of Savoy|Savoy]] monarchy under King [[Victor Emmanuel III]] coexisted with the [[National Fascist Party|Fascist]] single-party rule of [[Benito Mussolini]]; [[Kingdom of Romania|Romania]] under the [[Iron Guard]] and [[Kingdom of Greece|Greece]] during the first months of the [[Greek junta|Colonels' regime]] were similar. [[Francoist Spain|Spain under Francisco Franco]] was officially a monarchy, although there was no monarch on the throne. Upon his death, Franco was succeeded as head of state by the [[House of Bourbon|Bourbon]] heir, [[Juan Carlos I]], and [[Spanish transition to democracy|Spain became a democracy]] with the king as a figurehead constitutional monarch.