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Difference Between Democracy And Dictatorship

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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

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