Traditional monarchies and dictatorships have many similarities. For example, their rulers are not elected by the people, though how they gain power differs. Traditional monarchs often follow a hereditary line, while dictators often take power by force and attempt to hold power by limiting the rights of the people they rule. In both types of government, the ruler is the unquestioned leader of the country and holds unlimited power. Constitutional monarchies are different from dictatorships because they have a constitution that limits the monarch’s powers. That constitution outlines the structure and the power of the government and prevents the monarch from denying citizens their rights.
