Some of the Types of democracy Most common are direct, representative, participatory, partial, presidential and parliamentary.
The reason why there are so many divisions and subdivisions is because the way in which a democracy is managed depends very much on the type of government that is in force, be it president or monarch.
There are 10 main types of democracy. These include direct, participatory, social, representative, partial, parliamentary, constitutional, religious, authoritarian and presidential democracy.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the democracy As"a government in which power is given to the people and is exercised by them directly or indirectly, through a system of representation that usually involves free elections."
That is to say, it is a system of government that involves the people in the decisions that concern the future of the country. Be it laws, reforms, among other things.
The word democracy comes from the Greek"demos"which means people and"kratos"which means power. Its history goes back more than 700 years before Christ in ancient Greece; All men could participate in government decisions.
Top 10 Types of Democracy
Many years have passed since the earliest vestiges of democracy as a system of government. For that reason, democracy (although its essence and base is the same) has changed a little in its implementation and has derived in different types.
The democracy that is applied today is called"modern democracy".
1) Direct Democracy
This type of democracy is the closest to the most ancient or"pure"democracy. In this type all small decisions are in the hands of the inhabitants, without any intermediary.
In fact, most of the time the decisions are subject to public hearings, as is the case of Switzerland.
Not only the decisions of the government are put to the vote; The people can propose laws. If the people get enough signatures, these laws will be put to a vote and can be implemented.
2) Representative Democracy
This type of democracy allows the people to have the right to vote to elect individuals who will represent them in parliament. They will decide what they think is beneficial for the country on behalf of the people of that country.
They should be able to represent the people who chose them. This type of democracy simplifies and streamlines things because you do not have to consult everything with people.
However, sometimes representatives may fail to properly represent people's interests, which can lead to problems.
3) Participatory Democracy
It is very similar to direct democracy but with more limitations. In this type of government, the people have participation but in the votes of weight.
For example, a law reform must be put to the vote. However, a non-tax increase.
A representative feature is that no matter how large or small the decision is; Each inhabitant votes for himself. That is, they do not have a senior figure to vote on behalf of several people or communities.
4) Partial Democracy
Also called non-liberal democracy, it is one in which the basic democratic principles are given but the knowledge and power of the people is limited in many decisions taken by the executive.
Government activities are somewhat isolated to the knowledge of the people. Therefore, the rulers can act for themselves, without having the duty of accountability to the people.
5) Presidential Democracy
In this type of democracy, there is a differentiation between the legislative and executive systems. The president does not depend on a parliament, nor on assembly members.
Although the decisions of the majority of the parliament should be respected, the president may decide to veto or accept the law or reform.
In presidential democracy, the head of state and government is only the president. In such cases, citizens vote directly for the president and on the other hand they also vote directly for legislative representatives.
6) Constitutional Democracy
It is the majority of the cases of the republics of today. Basically it is a democracy that bases its power on the laws written in the constitution.
It can not be influenced by external factors, impartiality or political parties. Absolutely all decisions must be attached to the constitution and if not, a process of reform must be carried out by citizens or members of parliament.
7) Parliamentary Democracy
This type of democracy is usually part of a representative democracy. Suffrage is used to elect parliamentarians.
These will take care of the decisions of the government and they will even be able to choose to the president / chancellor / head of government as is the case of Germany.
It differs from representative democracy as citizens leave the election of executive power to the hands of parliamentarians.
It is usually characterized by having a head of state and a government chief. In most cases, the first is a monarch and the second, a prime minister.
8) Social Democracy
This type of democracy, also called Social Democracy, blends the political system with the economic system. It can be part of a participatory, representative or parliamentary democracy.
Canada is a parliamentary democracy considered to be a Social Democrat. Social democracy seeks that the state can be equal to or more powerful than the economic elites.
Thus the people can depend on him without having to go to private institutions. Characteristics of this type of democracies can be free medical service, compulsory and free education, etc.
9) Authoritarian Democracy
It is one in which governmental authority can extend beyond what is necessary and has the right to regulate many economic, social and cultural aspects. It can happen many times under the system of partial democracy.
This kind of authoritarianism is usually noticed when a dominant party or an economic coalition regulates the decisions in its favor; While still complying with basic principles of democracy such as suffrage, freedom of expression, etc.
10) Religious Democracy
This type of democracy is one that mixes the political system with religion. That is, government decisions are influenced by the country's religion or ruler.
In fact, the country that possesses this type of democracy can be considered a"religious state". Israel is a parliamentary religious democracy, having been proclaimed a Jewish state.
The decisions of religious democracies should be attached more than to the constitution to the customs and traditions of practicing religion. In its absence, it should then have a constitution based on religion.
References
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- (2015)"What is a parliamentary democracy?"Retrieved on July 12, 2017 from borgenproject.org
- Center for civic education"Constitutional democracy"Recovered on July 12, 2017 from civiced.org
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