Democracy vs. Other Types of Government

Introduction

All countries in the world are governed by a system known as the government. The government is made up of systems and people such as administrators and legislators among others whose main role is to ensure proper governance of the state. From time immemorial, state governments have played significant roles in human activity hence the ideology of politics to elect the ruling government. As such, governments come into place after the conduction of elections, or upon appointment of rulers depending on the form of political system adopted. It is also important to understand that there are different forms of government systems adopted globally. The type of government system adopted depends on a variety of factors. This paper is therefore an in-depth analysis of the various forms of governments by making a comparison of each and thereafter giving an opinion on the best form of government.

Types of Governments and their differences

Some of the commonly known types of governments include republic governments, democracy governments, dictatorship governments, monarchy governments, and aristocracy governments just to mention a few. Below is a brief discussion of some of the common forms of governments.

Democracy governments

In this type of government, the citizens of a nation govern the nation by electing persons through fair and free elections (Yves 1). The elected people are expected to rule and govern the country in accordance to the rule of law.

Republic governments

Individuals elected to make laws and ensure their enforcement characterize these governments.

Monarchy governments

For a long time, nations adopted the monarchy governments whereby they were ruled by kings or queens from the same family line. In nations where the state is large, the king or queen is referred to as an emperor.

Dictatorship/ Authoritarian governments

These types of governments are ruled by individuals or groups of people who are dictators thus force the citizens to follow their ideas and opinions. World-renowned dictators include Fidel Castro of Cuba and Hitler of Germany among others.

Aristocracy governments

As the name suggests, aristocrats who include people of integrity and the wealthy in the society rule in aristocracy governments. For instance, most leaders of the United States of America are aristocrats.

Difference between democracy and other government systems

Democracy is different from the other types of governments in a number of ways. However, the four main elements that make democratic governments different are:

1. Democratic governments are characterized by free and fair elections
2. Active participation by citizens in their political and civic lives
3. The rule of law in democratic states is applied equally in all citizens
4. Democracy protects the human rights of citizens

From the listed elements of democracy, it is evident that citizens are the key players of governance in democratic states (Yves 1). This is different from the other systems of governance where the governing rulers are the main players of governance. Secondly, democracy is characterized by electing people into government offices something that is different from the other government systems where people are appointed into office. Thirdly, power regimes in democratic governments are periodic with elections being held periodically to elect new leaders or retain the existing leaders but with the consent of the citizens. Most of the other forms of governments are characterized by unending power regimes where leaders rule for their entire lifetime or leave office because of natural causes such as death. Finally yet importantly, democratic governments are characterized by freedom of rights to the citizens. In democratic governments, citizens are free to practice their own religions, cultures, and be able to air out their views without fear. This makes democracy a unique system of governance because in most of the other government types, citizens adhere to the rules and laws of the leaders hence subject to punishment upon deviation.

The best form of government

Based on the elements of democracy mentioned above, it is clear that citizens of a democratic nation have high political authority than in all the other forms of governments. This indeed makes democratic government systems the best form of governments because of the consideration they have on people. Unlike in authoritarian and monarchy governments where the flow of power is downwards that is from the leaders to the people, in democratic governments, power usually flows upwards from the people to the leaders (Upson 170). As such, the leaders normally comply and listen to the voice of the people. This is therefore an indication that the rights of the minority in the society are protected in democratic governments unlike in other forms of governments where the people’s voices are not listened to despite their cry. Democratic governments are the best form of governments because they allow citizens of a nation to carry out their civic duty of voting which is also their human right. In this, citizens participate fully in the governance of their nation as well as being informed of the national public issues.

Additionally, democracy is by far the best form of governance since “the people are free to criticize their elected leaders and representatives as well as observe how they conduct the business of government” (What is Democracy 1). The elected officials who fail to comply with the suggestions and needs of the people face the risk of being removed from office. This plays a significant role in making sure that leaders at local and national levels serve the people diligently. The fact that the elected people have periodic terms in which they hold the office also makes democratic governments a fair mode of governments extensions in terms can only be granted by the citizens through elections. This is not normally the case in other forms of governments such as in the monarchy types where people rule forever. Most often than not, leaders in democratic governments are the people’s choices. It can therefore be assumed that leaders in democratic governments have good leadership qualities given their popularity in the elections. “A common notion is that a democracy should be superior to dictatorships because they are able to select the best people,” (Egorov 1).

Conclusion

From the above discussion, it is evident that governments play a significant role in the political and civic life of citizens. While citizens in democratic governments have freedom to exercise most of their rights those in other forms of governments are normally humiliated and not allowed to enjoy their rights. This in turn makes, democracy the best form of governance among the aforementioned types of governments. Nevertheless, the authoritarian/dictatorship governments can be ranked the worst form of governments because of the torture they cause on human beings.

Works Cited

Egorov, Georgy. Which Government is Best. Web.

Upson, Maxwell. “Between Authoritarianism and Democracy.” Journal of Democracy. 23.1 (2012): 169-172.

What is Democracy? Web.

Yves, Simon. Philosophy of Democratic Government. Web.