As a rule, state power is exercised by any means and methods, and the complex of these methods is called the state regime. But this term is not equivalent to the designation "political regime" - the concept and types of the latter are wider and more diverse. It includes not only the ways in which the state acts on society, but also other types of political relations
The concept and types of political regimes are also due to the fact that each society consists of groups with different interests and goals that do not directly participate in government, but influence it in different ways. These are not only political parties, but business structures, military, mass media, public organizations, activists of which realize the ideas of civil society. All of them, to one degree or another, put pressure on political power and influence its decisions.
There are democratic and undemocratic political regimes, depending on the methods of government and attitude to the principle of separation / delegation of power. Despite the fact that the word “democracy” itself means “democracy”, there are no states or territories where the people as a whole would not only have power, but would directly implement it in practice, no. However, this does not mean that democracy does not exist - just this type of power and management includes one or another number of elements of direct democracy. Under a democratic regime, power comes from a people who, in various forms, have the ability to influence decision-making in public policy; minority opinions are considered by those who have a majority; in the field of legislation, the rule of law prevails; only that which is expressly outlawed is prohibited - everything else is allowed by default; the principle of a real separation of the legislative, judicial and executive powers is in force, and law enforcement bodies and other structures that use force methods are controlled by civil society; A variety of institutions, parties and movements operate in society, and human rights are realized in accordance with the highest standards. A democratic political regime, the concept and types of which may vary depending on different regions and countries, exists in approximately 40 countries, and it has proved its many years of effectiveness in the matter of complex relations between society, the individual and the state.
The opposite of the democratic regime has historically been autocracy, that is, one-man management. In the modern world, autocracy has gradually been replaced by an authoritarian and totalitarian political regime. The concept and types of these regimes differ from each other in the degree of intervention of the state and regulatory bodies not only in the social, but also in the cultural, personal and other spheres of life. The authoritarian regime as the board of a group of people (often a military or other elite) is inclined to the widespread use of coercive methods and command methods of managing the economy; all power is concentrated in the hands of a particular clan, where they fall on the basis of personal or group devotion, and other power institutions, such as parliament, are only formal. Human rights often exist only on paper and are present in the speeches of political figures, but are not realized in practice. However, repression under this regime is limited mainly by the political opposition and the political sphere in general, since the authorities are trying to control only what can hinder its security. Examples of such a regime are the rule of Pinochet in Chile or the Islamic dictatorship of Khomeini in Iran.
The totalitarian political regime has its own characteristics. The concept and types of totalitarianism are defined by many famous political scientists and philosophers, in particular Karl Popper and Hanoi Arendt. Having all the signs of an authoritarian regime, totalitarianism is primarily distinguished by its tendency to destroy the remaining political parties and movements, to merge the ruling party with the state (partocracy), at the head of which there is the same group of people. In this case, a cult of the leader arises, often endowed with supernatural features. A totalitarian ideology arises, turning a person into an element of the system, and leading to the unification and total politicization of all forms of social life. In fact, in a totalitarian society, anyone who shies away from politics must be destroyed. This kind of "left" and "right" political regimes existed in the USSR, China and the "countries of the socialist camp", Nazi Germany, fascist Italy and Spain, Kampuchea "Khmer Rouge" and other countries.