A government in which sovereignty resides in one person is called what?

• A. Theocracy
• B. Monarchy
• C. Democracy
• D. Oligarchy

Answer: (B)

When sovereignty is held by one person, the system of government is a monarchy. A monarch—a king, queen, or emperor—acts as the supreme authority. Some monarchies limit real power through a constitution or elected bodies, but the defining setup is that a single ruler holds ultimate sovereignty. Theocracy centers power in religious authority, democracy centers sovereignty in the people, and oligarchy concentrates power in a small group, so none of those fit the description as closely as monarchy does.