The word "regime" (occasionally spelled "régime", particularly in older texts) refers to any system of control, or more specifically a system of government. It is frequently used to describe a government headed by a specific person ("the Saddam regime", "the Bush regime", or "the Salazar regime") or based on a particular ideology ("a communist" regime", "a fascist regime", or "a military regime"). In theory, the word "regime" need not imply anything about the type of government described, and most political scientists use it as a neutral term. Some people, however, use the term only for governments which they believe to be repressive or undemocratic, and as such, some see the word as conveying a sense of moral disapproval and political opposition. A form of government (also referred to as a system of government or a political system) is a system composed of various people, institutions and their relations in regard to the governance of a state. ... Saddam Hussein Saddām Hussein ʻAbd al-Majīd al-Tikrītī (Often spelled Husayn or Hussain; Arabic صدام حسين عبدالمجيد التكريتي; born April 28, 1937 1) was President of Iraq from 1979 to 2003. ... The word bush re-directs here; for alternate uses see Bush (disambiguation). ... Antonio Salazar on July 22, 1946 issue of Time Magazine António de Oliveira Salazar ( April 28, 1889— July 27, 1970) was the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1932 to 1968, noted for the dictatorial nature of his government. ... Communism is a term that can refer to one of several things: a social and economic system, an ideology which supports that system, or a political movement that wishes to implement that system. ... Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler Fascism (in Italian, fascismo), capitalized, refers to the right-wing authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. ... Augusto Pinochet (sitting) was an army general who led a military coup in Chile in 1973. ...

See also: Ancien régime, regime change Ancien Régime means Old Rule or Old Order in French; in English, the term refers primarily to the social and political system established in France under the Valois and Bourbon dynasties. ... Regime change is the overthrow of a government (or regime) considered illegitimate by an external force (usually military), and its replacement with a new government according to the ideas and/or interests promoted by that force. ...

Political Science professor, Fred Judson, defines a regime as the relationship between the state, society, market, and global insertion.

Other uses

Another political use of "regime" concerns international regulatory agencies, which lie outside of the control of national governments. These have more power over a greater range than postal or telecommunications agreements, for example, and constrain national governments.

The basic meaning of "regime", a system of control, can be found in terms such as exercise regime or medical regime. Compare regimen.

In science, a regime can mean a particular state of affairs where a particular physical phenomenon or boundary condition is significant, such as "the superfluid regime" or "the steady state regime". What is science? There are different theories of what science is. ... Superfluidity is a phase of matter characterised by the complete absence of viscosity. ... For alternative meanings see steady state (disambiguation). ...

See http://www.sans.org/press/release_20050407.pdf regarding the "old GIAC regime".