absolutism (government)
System of government in which the ruler or rulers have unlimited power and are subject to no constitutional safeguards or checks. The principle of an absolute monarch, given a right to rule by God (the divine right of kings), was extensively used in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries; it was based on an earlier theory of papal absolutism (absolute authority of the pope).
Absolute monarchy is contrasted with limited or constitutional monarchy, in which the sovereign's powers are defined or limited.
Absolute monarchy is contrasted with limited or constitutional monarchy, in which the sovereign's powers are defined or limited.
© RM 2012. Helicon Publishing is division of RM.
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