Which governmental system relies on checks from other institutions for control?

The correct answer is that authoritarian systems rely on checks from other institutions for control. In this context, while authoritarian regimes are often characterized by a centralized control of power, they can also have mechanisms in place to maintain order and suppress opposition. These mechanisms can include the use of state institutions such as the military, police, and judiciary to enforce control and limit dissent. This inter-institutional dynamic can act as a check on potential rival power centers or competing interests, albeit more through repression than cooperation.

In contrast, democratic systems are characterized by built-in checks and balances, where different branches of government operate independently but are designed to oversee and limit each other's powers. Communist systems often advocate for a dictatorship of the proletariat, where power is concentrated, but the system theoretically promotes collective governance rather than checks by independent institutions. Monarchies may vary significantly; some are absolute with unchecked authority vested in the monarch, while constitutional monarchies involve checks from a parliamentary system. However, checking power through independent institutions is not a defining feature of these various governmental systems as it is in authoritarian regimes.