兩晉南朝的君主為了鞏固地位，強化君權，推動了一些政策，帶來政制上若干的變革，部分失之過當，也造成時局的動亂。首先是以宗室出鎮，以掌握地方軍權，然而此舉有時卻引發骨肉相殘的悲劇，政權因此動盪敗亡。 此外，南朝君主常採取以典籤臺史監控地方。典籤、臺使雖然可以有效地監督都督、刺史，但卻無法有效的解決地方問題，地方事務仍需仰賴地方土豪酋帥與寒人武將。因此宋、齊、梁三代君主對於地方軍政的掌控仍然具有相當的侷限性。 在朝政方面，南朝君主多以中書舍人、令史等寒人掌機要，用以削奪門閥士族的特權，因而造成南朝中樞制度的變化，至陳朝時，中書舍人省遂成為中央政務機構。就士族政治而言，舊有的門閥士族雖然漸趨衰微，但新興的寒人透過戶籍的偽冒，而取得士族身分。因此在政制上沒有廢除士族特權的情形下，南朝君主的集權距離君主專制，仍然有一大段距離。

　　　　　The emperors of the Western and Eastern Chin and the Southern dynasties implemented many policies to solidify their power. These policies sometimes violated the proper functions of the political system and thus incurred political chaos. First, they introduced the policy of appointing imperial clansmen to the post of governor-general (tu-tu 都督), taking charge of troops stationed in strategic places. Although this policy strengthened the emperor's control of the army, it sometimes resulted in bloody power struggles between family members and caused the demise of the dynasty. Second, emperors of the Southern dynasties often deployed document clerks tien-ch'ien 典籤) and commissioners (t'ai-shih 臺使) to inspect and supervise the functions of local governments under the prefects (tz'u-shih 刺史) and governors-general. This policy, however, did not provide an effective solution to some of the local problems. The sky to solving these problems still lay in the hands of local lords and leaders of local troops. Therefore, in the Sung, Ch'i, and Liang dynasties, the imperial control over local government and local military troops remained limited. At court, the emperors of the Southern dynasties often assigned secretariat drafters (chung-shu she-jen 中書舍人) and clerks (ling-shih 令史) to be in charge of pivotal political affairs. They chose not to delegate power to officials from elite families, but to these low-ranking officials who came from families of lesser birth, in order to restrain the political power of the elite families. Although these were initially temporary measures, they eventually changed the central government system. In the Ch'en dynasty, the Department of Secretariat Drafters (chung-shu she-jen sheng 中書舍人省) became the supreme center of the government. As for the elite families, who were the emperors' major contenders for political power, their political status indeed went into a decline. However, some political newcomers forfeited their familial credentials and posed as members of elite families. Then, they took advantage of the privileges reserved for elites in the political system. Since these privileges were not abolished, autocracy remained a distant ideal to the emperors of the Southern dynasties.