Is a monarchy possible in the present day?

[Bob]

A real monarchy where one person is in charge (if that's the actual definition).  As opposed to just a figure head for appearances.  

Are there any countries that have that happening now?  (I don't really consider England.  I'm thinking of a monarchy where one person has power over everything.)

Is that even possible in the present world, being much more complex than the past when one person being in charge of everything might have worked?


Hmm...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_monarchs
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy

That's what I was thinking.

[thalbergmad]

I think there are sufficient examples to indicate that they do not work.

Mugabe, Sadam Hussain, Gadaffi and God knows how many other smaller Countries.

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely as the old saying goes & I guess it always will.

Perhaps there is some remote tribe in the Amazonian basin where it works, where people have not been infested with "civilisation".

Thal

[liordavid]

many polynesian countries have always and still have monarchies

[birba]

My first teacher who was a student of Emil Sauer, among others, and emigrated to the states after the war, used to always say "Give me a king with a constitution any day!"

[oxy60]

What do you consider a level of control? Holding 2/3 (lords and judges) and the power to dissolve the other third (parliament)? And all this without a constitution?

How about the chief of all police and the appointment of mayors and judges? No juries, no binding referendum, but still a constitution.

That's just two EU countries, shall we continue?

[Bob]

Sure.

I was thinking of a king or queen who could do whatever they want.  Say it and people will try to do it.  Or more like someone who would also be making decisions about everything, handling all the issues.  I doubt one person even with advisors knows enough for that.

[point of grace]

of course it is! read the papers! they are the same but with a different name

[gyzzzmo]

Ofcourse an absolute monarchie is possible these days, but its not likely to last very long since sooner or later you'll get a bad ruler on wich depends too much.

[oxy60]

Sure.

I was thinking of a king or queen who could do whatever they want.  Say it and people will try to do it.  Or more like someone who would also be making decisions about everything, handling all the issues.  I doubt one person even with advisors knows enough for that.

These days they do, just behind the scenes. The press must also keep quiet. What do think the prime minister and monarch discuss during their regular meetings, the weather?

[mephisto]

Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and to a lesser degree Kuwait, UAE and Bahrain.

[wishful thinker]

Don't forget the Vatican 

[birba]

   Don't laugh.  That's no joke.  If you lived in Italy you'd know.

[oxy60]

They even have their own (unofficial) political party to be part of the state government of Italy (CD). And most other Christian parties in Europe get their marching orders from the Vatican. The (Roman) Catholic monarchs get their instructions directly from the Throne of Peter.