Visualizing 200 Years of Systems of Government
Centuries ago, most of our ancestors were living under a different political paradigm. Although democracy was starting to show signs of growth in some parts of the world, it was more of an idea, rather than an established or accepted system of government.
Even at the start of the 19th century, for example, it’s estimated that the vast majority of the global population — roughly 84% of all people — still lived under in autocratic regimes or colonies that lacked the authority to self-govern their own affairs.
Today’s set of charts look at global governance, and how it’s evolved over the last two centuries of human history.