Political system, the set of formal legal institutions that constitute a “government” or a “state.” This is the definition adopted by many studies of the legal or constitutional arrangements of advanced political orders. More broadly defined, however, the term comprehends actual as well as prescribed forms of political behaviour, not only the legal organization of the state but also the reality of how the state functions. Still more broadly defined, the political system is seen as a set of “processes of interaction” or as a subsystem of the social system interacting with other nonpolitical subsystems, such as the economic system. ... (100 of 31,285 words)
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip attending the state opening of Parliament in 2006.Anwar Hussein Collection/Getty Images
Supporters of opposition presidential candidate Alyaksandr Milinkevich demonstrating in Minsk, …Vasily Fedosenko—/Reuters /Landov
