Benin in its roots has also been a centralized government and today is still a centralized government, the difference is it has switched from a centralized kingdom to a democracy, with power types having leaders with power instead of influence. In the early times starting around the first historical records Benin was a patriarchal kingdom with lineages of both hereditary and non-hereditary when it came to claiming the throne, The ruler was the Oba, and with helped of a royal administration appointed by himself, he prospered in a land where slave trade was it main focus along with other trade. This was the case until the 1640’s when civil war broke out. In 1640 due to the break out of civil war, Benin centralized power was greatly dimished and the government ended up becoming more of a collective uncentralized government. At this point the government started to become weaker and weaker until finally in the 19th century due to the end of Slave trade (Benin greatest income) and a skirmish Britain, the kingdom finally fell. This fall of the kingdom led to France taking control over Benin for almost a half century until they finally claimed their independence in 1960. After this independence there is a brief run of Marxism where Benin was known as the Revolutionary Party of the People of Benin. This power stayed in effect until the 1990’s where today they are a Democracy under the leadership of president YAYI Boni. The bureaucracy of this democracy is a series of checks and balances between the executive branch, legislative branch, and the judicial branch. Disputes are settled formally and a formal sanction of laws enforced by the national police force called the Gendarmerie Nationale. The only thing I found on foreign relations is that they have also had great relationships with trading, and since turning to a democracy Benin has a very good relationship with the United States.