Politics

"And don't forget she's a politician. They're not to be trusted."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi, about Padmé Amidala

Politics were the activities associated with the policies of a government. Those involved in such activities were referred to as politicians. Across the galaxy, there existed many different forms of government.

Republic
"We need a system where the politicians sit down and discuss the problems, agree what's in the best interests of all the people, and then do it.''" "''That is exactly what we do. The trouble is that people don't always agree."

- Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala

In a republic, people are governed by an elected representative and by an elected leader rather than by a monarch. With its body of elected senators, the Galactic Republic was a galaxy-spanning democracy. However that system was not without its drawbacks. As admitted by Padmé Amidala, a Republic senator, elected representatives were often too stubborn to reach consensus, and some were known to have even taken bribes. Additionally, many of those representatives were tempted to forget common interest and looked out only for themselves and their home systems. The Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi thought that most senators were only focused on pleasing those who sponsored their campaigns, which prompted them to forget the ideals of democracy.

Monarchy
"And as your King, I pledge my loyalty to all people of Mon Cala."

- King Lee-Char of Mon Cala

In a monarchy, a single individual&mdash;known as king or queen depending on gender&mdash;would rule his or her people by birthright, grounding their legitimacy in lineage. The Elder Houses were comprised of ancient galactic royalty.

Sometimes, however, the legitimacy of a lineage was contested. During the Clone Wars, Prince Lee-Char of Mon Cala was preordained to succeed his father Yos Kolina, but the Quarren inhabitants of the planet wanted to place one of their own on the throne, which prompted them to wage war with the crown heir. Other planets ruled by monarchies included Aleen, Toydaria, and Onderon. Some monarchs, such as those of Naboo, were elected to the throne.

By the time of the New Republic, few people still took hereditary nobility seriously, including nobles themselves. Due to this, the noble titles of many planets became largely ceremonial.

Empire
An empire was an intergalactic system of geopolitical organization in which various territories and aggregates were collectively constituted underneath a common, centralized executive authority. Oftentimes, these territories would fall under the direct rule of a singular galactic government's jurisdiction, as was the case with the Galactic Empire and the way in which it was administrated. In other cases, empires were more nuanced, instead manifesting as hegemonies; here, the various aggregates would be devolved, with territories retaining their own official sovereignty, though many were often vassal states of the most powerful government in the dominion. A good example of this was the isolationist Chiss Ascendancy, a political designation that saw its planets controlled by the ruling houses of the Aristocra.

Traditionally, many empires fell under the rule of a single leader, who was typically called an emperor or an empress, depending on the gender.

Dictatorship
"That sounds an awful lot like a dictatorship to me.''" "''Well, if it works&hellip;"

- Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker

A dictatorship was a form of government in which central authority is vested in the hands of a single individual, who often held vast executive power. The authority of that individual, called a dictator, is often enforced through various oppressive mechanisms, such as repression of the press, detention of political activists and the use of omnipresent security measures to monitor public opinion, often with hopes of manipulating it in favor of the regime. A form of dictatorship was called fascism.

At the time of the Clone Wars, the planet Quarzite was ruled over by a Belugan dictator, Lord Otua Blank. When Sheev Palpatine, then Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, announced the establishment of the First Galactic Empire, the galactic government shifted from a democracy to a dictatorship, more specifically, a fascist regime.

Rule by military officers was called stratocracy.

Other forms
"I wasn't the youngest queen ever elected, but now that I think back on it, I'm not sure I was old enough."

- Padmé Amidala, to Anakin Skywalker

There also existed hybrid forms of government. On the planet of Naboo, the head of state was referred to as a king or queen despite being elected by his or her people. He or she was assisted by a body of ministers called the Naboo Royal Advisory Council. Additionally, that elected sovereign could only serve two terms in accordance with the Naboo constitution, a type of constitutional monarchy.

Behind the scenes
The term "fascism" based on the real-world equivalent was absent from Star Wars media until its inclusion in the 2016 reference book Star Wars Propaganda: A History of Persuasive Art in the Galaxy, in which the in-universe author expresses shame over the pro-imperial propaganda poster Imperius Unitada ober Totallex for its "unflinching fascist image."

Non-canon appearances

 * William Shakespeare's The Phantom of Menace: Star Wars Part the First