Democracies and Dictatorships are two distinct forms of government. These governments can generally be differentiated by the fact that they are complete opposite concepts from one another. A Democracy is a system of government in which power is vested in the people and is exercised directly or through elected representatives whereas a dictatorship is a government in which an individual or small group exercises absolute power within its territory. In this paper, I will illustrate key differences between a democracy and a dictatorship by using information from lectures, readings as well as showing the differences between a democratic country and a country which is ruled through dictatorship. To conclude I will provide a personal analysis of which regime I prefer using normative tools. In a democracy, the job of the government is to be responsive to the preferences of its citizens, viewing them as political equals. In a democracy according to Robert Dahl, each citizen must have the opportunity to formulate their preferences, voice their opinion to fellow citizens and the government through individual/collective action and lastly, that their opinion be considered when representatives meet and that the outcomes are the “will of the people” (De Kadt, Lecture 8) This means that a democracy should be based on the foundation set up by the people, for the people and that the elected representatives should abide by their requests. This is the foundation of what a democracy is, but
The word democracy has two major meanings: a government by the people who are the majority, and also it can refer to a government in which the ultimate power is given to the people who directly or indirectly exercises it via a system of representation and usually involves free and fair elections. Democracy refers to a government created through elected representatives. Democracy in the society favors equal rights and believes in the freedom of speech as well as the view of the minority groups in the society. Democracy is based on the principles of the rule of majority and rights of individuals. A democratic society is where all government levels are made accessible to the people (Jensen & Romanowski 30).
Democracy is a “system of government in which political authority vested in the people” (Ch. 1, Pg. 4). Democracy is by far the most challenging form of government, for perhaps both politicians and the people. The term democracy comes from a Greek term which in short means “rule by the people”. The antique democracies in ancient cities, such as Rome and Athens, represent precursors of modern democracies. Like modern democracy, the need for organized rule arose in the midst of power abuse. The democracy we abide by today was created in the 17th century during the Age of Enlightenment, by philosophers such as John Locke, Voltaire… These philosophers created the foundation for our modern democracy. These essential elements such as the separation
Democracy is defined as “A system of government in which ultimate political authority is vested in the People.” The Declaration’s
These people can exercise their power in different ways, directly or through elected officials. Democracy is a system of rule by laws, not by individuals. It is a means for the people to choose their leaders and hold them responsible for their conduct in office and for the policies they enact. In a democratic system, each citizen has certain fundamental rights that can not be taken away. Also, citizens in a democracy have a responsibility to keep up with current public issues, watch how their representatives are using their power to respond to these issues, and to voice their own opinions (Diamond, 01/21/04). Essentially, a democracy is a principal-agent relationship between the people of a country and the representatives they elect, respectively. In a principal-agent relationship, the principal delegates a responsibility to an agent who in turn takes
Dictatorship is a type of government in which the people have to follow strict guidelines for their behavior that the government sets forth. For example, Hitler set forth strict policies and guidelines for Germany. In countries, like Cuba under dictatorship rule it can create an increase in crime within communities due to food shortages by limits set by the government. In a system of democracy, in places like the United States, the filibustering between the Republican Party and the Democratic Party can create an unbalance of power shifting the power group’s focus. Republicans are more conservative in their ideals and are more resistant to policy changes. While, Democrats are more liberal and want promote new ideas for the policy agenda. So, the parties play a major role in creating societal issues because it provides division between groups of people due to contrasting ideals. Republic governments elect people like democracies to govern their government and also deal with the issue of corruption and whether officials are really campaigning for their citizens. An Aristocratic government structured with elected officials of a
First off, the definition of democracy is that it is a form of government in which all eligible citizens participate equally, either directly or through elected representatives. Democracy plays a major role in government, considering it provides freedom and liberty to citizens in the United States. There are many court cases where the Court’s decisions have disapproved the equality, such as the Dred Scott Case.
Democracy is a type of government used in different countries, including America. A Democracy is a system of government by the populations of a state, through elective representatives (Kloppenberg 1). “In a democracy, the people are sovereign—they are the highest form of political authority” (“What is Democracy?” 1). Democracy is made up of values just like other ideology in different countries. There are many vales that are the factors of Democracy, but four mainly make democracy in America what it is today, the home of the free. “A Democracy has four values, it is a political system that is for choosing or replacing government fair, causes people to be active citizens, protects human rights, and the laws apply equal to all citizens” (“What is Democracy?” 1). One of the greatest values of democracy is the way voting is taken in America. “Democracy is a means for the people to choose their leaders and to
Fareed Zakaria’s “The Rise of Illiberal Democracy” details his view on elected governments and the ignorance and abuse of their power. He claims that they do not use their powers in the right way and instead deny basic civil rights and liberties. Democracy can be defined numerous ways in different countries. In Zakaria’s definition, to paraphrase, a democracy is viewed as a process of selecting government and is to always mean the rule of the people. In my opinion this definition is very true when associating democracy with countries such as the one I preside in because we have the right to vote for the people making decisions in individual states and, most importantly, our federal government. To have a democracy intuitively means “A good government”. Following democracy in the article, Zakaria highlights two other forms of government that contrast to democracy and where they are used. Constitutional liberalism “is not a procedure for selecting government, but rather the government’s goal”. This concept of government rule looks out more for the individual
In the most basic sense, democracy can be defined as a system dominated by elections. Handelman states that democracy can be defined as, “... a political system that holds fair, contested elections on a regular basis, with universal adult suffrage.” (Handelman, p. 30). Additionally, Handleman offers up another, more thorough, definition of democracy that fully explains the intricacies of the ideology. Handelman expresses,
Democracy is defined as a form of government that is ruled by the people. That is, rather than a single or a small group of leaders, democracy obligates the citizens who are affected by the law to collectively create the law through active participation. The United States is a nation that prides itself as a democracy, built on rule by the people via elected representatives. However, the electoral college system and other institutions within the electoral process actually inhibit many democratic values. This, paired with remarkably low voter turnout rates, leaves political decisions to be made by those in power rather than the people. To overcome this, it is necessary to go beyond elections as the central form of political participation. Likewise,
What is a democracy? When the founding fathers had written the final draft of the constitution, they included the words in large print, “We the People” (U.S. Const. pmbl.). A democracy is a system of government in which all the power automatically goes to the people. The people are the ones who vote for presidential candidates, legislators, and even laws. However, there has been a deterioration in voter turn outs since the onset of the 20th century. Typically, educated people between the ages of 45 years old and up are the majority of citizens who vote. This sits well with politicians because there are less people to please. Some may say that their voices do not matter when it comes to government and politics, and in response engage in nonparticipation.
In a democracy, the people are supposed to rule via representatives. Using a system by, of, and for the people, everyone is equal and rights are guaranteed. Democracy is vital to uphold basic human rights such as freedom of expression or liberty. For this reason, democracy is the cornerstone of nearly all developed nations today, including the United States. Yet in many places, that cornerstone is weak. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a democracy as “a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives” (Definition). To be an effective democracy, all the members of a state must be properly represented, and elections should favor public opinion. Yet this is not always the case - in fact, the democracies that represent the most people, such as in the UK, the US, and India are quite weak.
According to Robert A. Dahl, there are certain criteria that a government must meet for it to be called a democracy. Democracy must provide first of all, opportunities for effective participation, where all members of an association concerned with a certain policy ‘must have equal and effective opportunities for making their views known to the other members as to what the policy should be’ (Dahl R.A.: 2000). A second criterion is equality in voting, whereby ‘every member must have an equal and effective opportunity to vote, and all votes must be counted as equal’, followed by gaining enlightened understanding, meaning that each
What does Democracy mean? It’s not just the way of running a country, but in this system of governance all qualified citizens get an equal opportunity of involvement in the creation of laws, proposals, general development and it is also preferred Worldwide today, because of the respected freedom that citizens enjoy in executing their choices. There are several features of Democracy which make it more favorable for the people other than any system such as: People elect the representatives for themselves to do the legislation and make policies, an adult citizen have right the vote
As systems of government, Democracy and Dictatorship exhibit key differences in how leaders are elected, power is distributed and how people are governed. Nations that have a democratic element are those where the people have a substantial say, through a system of voting, about who is representing them in the government, and where leaders are not governing for life. In