>You're right, it was not unknown. In Britain, Sweden, and ostensibly in Russia, there were constitutional monarchies. Probably others that escape me now....oh yeah, San Marino (lol). Still, though, the American influence on current government structure in Europe is inescapable.

Just out of curiosity, is there really any European country where the government doesn't have ministries but departments, where the ministry of foreign affairs is called anything but, where there's no prime minister but the country's president acts as one. I remember only one where ministries were not called ministries, and the ministers were not ministers, and even the government wasn't called government.