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<blockquote data-quote="Set" data-source="post: 3329190" data-attributes="member: 41584"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_forms_of_government" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_forms_of_government</a>has a useful list.Bear in mind that the US has been trending towards plutocracy for some time now.&nbsp; It's not like a poor person is ever gonna be President, and the majority of contenders these days tend to be millionaires.&nbsp; It could even be argued that we are headed towards kleptocracy, with the friends, families and financial benefactors of political figures cashing in on their canditates electoral success, with either appointed positions, or government contracts worth billions of dollars.Even in a world where priests can't call down holy fire or raise the dead, the priesthood has had *enormous* power in various cultures throughout history.&nbsp; No European ruler could be crowned (or marry, or designate a successor) without the approval of the Pope, for centuries.&nbsp; Pharoah was a literal slave in his household, surrounded by slaves owned by the temples (Pharoah was forbidden to own slaves, his household staff were in the employ of his political enemies!), and the one Pharoah who stood up to them was murdered and his 14 year old son propped up in his place and forced to reverse all of his attempts at reform.&nbsp; Many systems of governance side-stepped this by making their titular ruler also the official 'head of the state religion,' as was done in Rome, and in China.In a fantasy world, where gods like Hextor and Heironyus would take very active interest in who rules the kingdoms where their followers congregate, the priesthood would be *vastly* more influential, being able to ensure, or withold, medical services, exorcisms, etc. and extort the ruler through controlling weather, crops, etc.&nbsp; Piss off the wrong temple, and suddenly there's famine, or drought, or plague, or insurrection...</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Set, post: 3329190, member: 41584"] [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_forms_of_government[/url] has a useful list. Bear in mind that the US has been trending towards plutocracy for some time now. It's not like a poor person is ever gonna be President, and the majority of contenders these days tend to be millionaires. It could even be argued that we are headed towards kleptocracy, with the friends, families and financial benefactors of political figures cashing in on their canditates electoral success, with either appointed positions, or government contracts worth billions of dollars. Even in a world where priests can't call down holy fire or raise the dead, the priesthood has had *enormous* power in various cultures throughout history. No European ruler could be crowned (or marry, or designate a successor) without the approval of the Pope, for centuries. Pharoah was a literal slave in his household, surrounded by slaves owned by the temples (Pharoah was forbidden to own slaves, his household staff were in the employ of his political enemies!), and the one Pharoah who stood up to them was murdered and his 14 year old son propped up in his place and forced to reverse all of his attempts at reform. Many systems of governance side-stepped this by making their titular ruler also the official 'head of the state religion,' as was done in Rome, and in China. In a fantasy world, where gods like Hextor and Heironyus would take very active interest in who rules the kingdoms where their followers congregate, the priesthood would be *vastly* more influential, being able to ensure, or withold, medical services, exorcisms, etc. and extort the ruler through controlling weather, crops, etc. Piss off the wrong temple, and suddenly there's famine, or drought, or plague, or insurrection... [/QUOTE]

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