Government

Parliament of Catalonia (Parlament de Catalunya) Parliament of Catalonia Unicameral legislature of Catalonia: composition, electoral system, powers, building, language regime and role in recent political events including the 2017 crisis.

Parliament of England The Parliament of England was the elected and hereditary assembly that developed from medieval councils into the legislature of the Kingdom of England until the 1707 Union.

Parliament of the Republic of Fiji Parliament of Fiji The Parliament of the Republic of Fiji is the country's unicameral legislature of 51 members, elected by open-list proportional representation. It enacts laws, approves budgets and…

Parliament of Finland (Eduskunta / Riksdag) Parliament of Finland The unicameral national legislature of Finland, founded in 1906; a 200-member body that drafts laws, approves budgets, supervises government and represents Finland’s bilingual poli…

Parliament of Great Britain (1707–1801) Parliament of Great Britain The Parliament of Great Britain was the unified legislature created by the Acts of Union 1707, governing Great Britain from 1707 until the 1801 union with Ireland; it met at Westmi…

Parliament of India: composition, powers and functions Parliament of India The Parliament of India is the national legislature comprising the President, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. This article explains its structure, powers, lawmaking process, and notable…

Parliament of Malta The unicameral legislature of the Republic of Malta, seated in Valletta. Covers its composition, electoral system, constitutional role, history, and main functions within Maltese g…

Parliament of the Republic of Moldova Parliament of Moldova The unicameral national legislature of Moldova, made up of 101 deputies elected by proportional vote for four-year terms; enacts laws, approves budgets and supervises the executive…

Parliament of Pakistan (Majlis-e-Shoora) Parliament of Pakistan The Parliament of Pakistan, or Majlis-e-Shoora, is the country's federal legislature. It is a bicameral body composed of the Senate, the National Assembly, and constitutionally inc…

Parliament of Poland: Structure, Role and History Parliament of Poland Overview of Poland's bicameral legislature — the Sejm and the Senate — covering composition, powers, location, electoral practice, historical development and main functions.

Parliament of Romania The bicameral Parliament of Romania comprises the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. It enacts legislation, supervises the government and represents the electorate within a consti…

Parliament of Scotland (Estates of Parliament) Parliament of Scotland The unicameral legislature of the independent Kingdom of Scotland from the medieval era until the 1707 Union. Known as the Estates, it developed from royal councils and represented…

Parliament of South Africa The Parliament of South Africa is the national bicameral legislature seated in Cape Town. Composed of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces, it enacts laws an…

Parliament of South Australia The bicameral legislature of the Australian state of South Australia. Outlines structure, membership, roles, elections, history and location of the Parliament and its two houses.

Parliament of the Bahamas The Parliament of the Bahamas is the nation's bicameral legislature in Nassau, modelled on the Westminster system with an appointed Senate and an elected House of Assembly.

Parliament of the Northern Territory The Parliament of the Northern Territory is the unicameral legislature governing the NT of Australia. It comprises the Legislative Assembly and the Administrator acting on behalf o…

Parliament of the United Kingdom The sovereign legislature of the UK: its composition, powers, historical development, functions and contemporary role within a constitutional monarchy.

Parliament of Victoria: structure, history and functions Parliament of Victoria The Parliament of Victoria is the elected legislature of the Australian state of Victoria. This article explains its two houses, powers, procedures, constitutional role and the par…

Parliamentary republic A parliamentary republic is a democratic system where the government is accountable to a legislature and executive power is divided between a ceremonial or elected head of state an…

Parliamentary select committees of the United Kingdom Independent committees of MPs and peers that scrutinise government policy, administration and legislation; they take evidence, publish reports and influence public debate.

Parliamentary system of government: principles, forms and examples Parliamentary system An overview of parliamentary systems: how the executive depends on the legislature, key institutions, common variants, historical origin and examples of modern practice.

Party Leaders of the United States House of Representatives Roles, selection, and functions of House party leaders and whips, differences between majority and minority positions, historical development, and examples of contemporary leaders.

Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU) Patiala and East Punjab States Union PEPSU was a short-lived Indian state formed in 1948 by merging several princely states; headquartered at Patiala, it existed until reorganization in 1956 and influenced later Punja…

Patronage: support, sponsorship, and political clientelism Patronage Patronage is the provision of support, privilege, or funding by an individual or organization; it spans artistic sponsorship, commercial loyalty, religious guardianship, and politi…

Pays-d'Enhaut District — former district in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland Pays-d'Enhaut District Former administrative district in the alpine region of Vaud, Switzerland centered on Château-d'Œx; known for mountain landscapes, pastoral culture and tourism. Merged into Riviera–…

Peerage: nobility, ranks, history and role Peerage A peerage is the system of noble ranks and titles—its origins, ranks (duke to baron), hereditary and life creation, historical privileges, and modern role in Britain and other coun…

Penal colony: definition, features, history and legacy Penal colony A penal colony is a remote settlement where convicted people were confined and employed as labor. Historically used in colonial expansion, notable examples include Devil's Island a…

People's Provincial Assembly (Algeria) People's Provincial Assembly An elected provincial council in Algeria (Assemblée populaire de wilaya) that directs local policy and development; members serve five-year terms and elect a president from among t…

People's Republic of Benin (1975–1990) People's Republic of Benin A Marxist–Leninist state in West Africa from 1975 to 1990, established after a 1972 coup and reorganized from the Republic of Dahomey into present-day Benin under a single-party sy…

Permanent Committee on Geographical Names (United Kingdom) Permanent Committee on Geographical Names UK government body that advises on and establishes standardized English names for places outside the UK (excluding Antarctica), guiding maps, publications and official usage.

Personal union (shared monarch between sovereign states) Personal union A political arrangement in which two or more independent states share the same monarch or head of state while retaining separate laws and institutions. Covers causes, examples, eff…

Peshawar Division — former administrative division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan Peshawar Division Administrative unit centered on the city of Peshawar that existed within the North-West Frontier Province (later Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) until the early 2000s; notable for regional adm…

Petition (formal request for change) Petition A petition is a formal request asking an authority, organization, or group to take or stop action. This article explains types, history, components, processes, and common uses of p…

Plurinational Legislative Assembly of Bolivia Plurinational Legislative Assembly The Plurinational Legislative Assembly is Bolivia's bicameral national legislature, established under the 2009 Constitution to represent departments and the plurinational character…

Plutocracy — government by the wealthy Plutocracy Plutocracy: a political system in which wealth confers dominant power. Overview of origins, typical mechanisms, historical examples, modern forms, distinctions, and common critique…

Police state A police state is one where government security forces and laws are used to monitor, control, and limit citizens' freedoms, often undermining independent courts and civil rights.

Polish People's Republic (1952–1989) Polish People's Republic State of Poland from 1952 to 1989 under communist rule. Overview of its political system, economy, social life, key protests (1956, 1970, 1980), the role of the Church, and the tra…

Political divisions of China An overview of the People's Republic of China's first-level administrative units: provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions and special administrative regions, and how they fit…

Political subdivisions of Brazil: states, Federal District and municipalities Political subdivisions of Brazil Summary of Brazil's federal structure: 26 states and one Federal District, grouped into five regions and subdivided into municipalities, with notes on powers, history and notable f…

Pontifex Maximus Highest priestly title in ancient Rome, head of the college of pontiffs; later adopted by Roman emperors and eventually associated with the Bishop of Rome (the Pope).

Pope Alexander — Popes and antipopes named Alexander Pope Alexander Overview of the popes (and an antipope) who took the name Alexander: their origins, notable holders from early antiquity to the Renaissance, numbering issues, controversies, and cu…

Pope Alexander I — early Bishop of Rome and liturgical figure Pope Alexander I Pope Alexander I was an early Bishop of Rome in the early 2nd century, traditionally credited with certain liturgical developments; historical details are sparse and many attributi…

Pope Anastasius Name used by four medieval popes. Overview of the name’s origin, brief profiles of each Pope Anastasius, historical context for their pontificates, and notable distinctions.

Pope Julius: Julius I, Julius II, and Julius III Pope Julius Article summarizing the three pontiffs named Julius: Julius I (4th c.), Julius II (Renaissance patron and ‘warrior pope’), and Julius III (mid-16th c., Council of Trent and controv…

Preamble: purpose, types, and role in documents and data Preamble A preamble is an introductory section that explains the purpose, scope or context of a document, musical work, or data frame. It serves ceremonial, interpretive, and technical func…

Prefectures of Greece (Nomoi): historical subnational divisions Prefectures of Greece Former primary administrative units of Greece (called nomoi) used from the 19th century until the 2010 Kallikratis reform; replaced by regional units within the modern regions.

Premier (political office) Premier A premier is a head of government title used in some countries and subnational jurisdictions. Its meaning, powers and method of selection vary by constitution, convention and local…

Premier of Alberta Head of government for Alberta, the premier leads the province's executive, selects cabinet, guides legislation in the Legislative Assembly, and represents Alberta in intergovernme…