A regime (occasionally spelled "régime", particularly in older texts) denotes any system of social control, or more specifically, a form of government, especially an authoritorian one,^[1] such as one closely associated with a specific individual (e.g., "the Saddam regime", the Clinton or Bush regime, "the Lukashenko regime", or "the Salazar regime"), or based on a particular ideology (eg. "a communist" regime", "a socialist regime, Zionist regime, "a fascist regime", or "a military regime"). Social control refers to social mechanisms that regulate individual and group behavior, in terms of greater sanctions and rewards. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti, (Arabic ), born April 28, 1937 , was the President of Iraq from 1979 until the United States-led invasion of Iraq reached Baghdad on April 9, 2003. ... Order: 42nd President Term of Office: January 20, 1993–January 20, 2001 Preceded by: George H. W. Bush Succeeded by: George W. Bush Date of birth: August 19, 1946 Place of birth: Hope, Arkansas Date of death: Place of death: First Lady: Hillary Rodham Clinton Political party: Democratic Vice President... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States and a former governor of Texas. ... Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (Lukashenka) (Belarusian: Алякса́ндар Рыго́равіч Лукашэ́нка, Russian: ) (born August 30, 1954) has been the President of Belarus since 1994. ... António de Oliveira Salazar (pron. ... An ideology is an organized collection of ideas. ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines, and may also refer to political movements that aspire to put these doctrines into practice. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

In theory, the term need not imply anything about the particular government to which it relates, and most political scientists use it as a neutral term. But the term is often used in a pejorative manner^[2] as a reference to governments believed to be repressive, undemocratic or illegitimate, such that in these contexts the word conveys a sense of moral disapproval or political opposition. For example, one is less likely to hear of a "democratic regime".

Political scientist Fred Judson, defines a regime as the "relationship between the state, society, (the) market, and global insertion". A state is an organized political community, occupying a territory, and possessing internal and external sovereignty, that enforces a monopoly on the use of force. ... Human relationships within an ethnically diverse society. ... A physical marketplace in Portugal enables buyers and sellers of produce to do business with each other. ...

Other uses

Another political use of "regime" concerns international regulatory agencies (see International regime), 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. An international regime is concept in the study of international relations that refers to a set of formal rules, informal norms of behavior, and optionally, organizations around a specific issue area in international politics. ...

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". The scope of this article is limited to the empirical sciences. ... Superfluidity is a phase of matter characterised by the complete absence of viscosity. ... For alternative meanings see steady state (disambiguation). ...

See also

• Ancien régime
• Form of government
• International regime
• Political system
• Regime change
• Regime theory

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. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... An international regime is concept in the study of international relations that refers to a set of formal rules, informal norms of behavior, and optionally, organizations around a specific issue area in international politics. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... 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. ... Regime theory is an international relations approach, that argues that cooperation is possible in the anarchic system of states. ...

Notes

1. ^ Compact Oxford English Dictionary, http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/regime?view=uk
2. ^ Evan Morris, The Word Detective, Nov. 24, 2002, http://www.word-detective.com/112402.html