Democracy is a political regime in which decisions are made collectively. Over the centuries, various forms of democracy have arisen, depending on the needs and characteristics of the society in which it developed. In this article we will consider its types and specific features.
What is democracy?
Democracy got its start in ancient Greece, and, unlike the modern structure of democracy, its characteristic feature of that time was that women, as well as slaves, did not have the right to participate in resolving political issues.
The modern forms of this regime are somewhat different from the ancient ones in a number of signs:
1. The people are the only source of power (legitimate).
2. Managers are appointed through competitive elections in which all citizens of the country who have the right to vote (including women) participate.
3. The company is self-governing in order to achieve the common good and satisfy interests.
Historical Forms of Democracy
Over time, two main democratic regimes emerged : direct and representative. These forms of democracy have one significant difference: in the first case, the political decision of the minority was subordinate to the decision of the majority, and in the second, this function (decision) is performed by the people's representatives. However, this is not all types of democratic regime; there are also:
1. The oligarchic. Here, the last political word is behind the big owners.
2. The egalitarian. When special attention is paid to the concept of a nation, decisions are made depending on how useful it is for persons of a certain nationality, who have the right to vote. National minorities are powerless under this regime.
3. Socialist. This form involves the abolition of class society and the exercise of power by decision of the common people, which brings it closer to egalitarian democracy.
4. The liberal. This form is quite common these days and is characterized by a number of signs: firstly, it involves finding consensus between the parties more than others, secondly, the value of open information regarding elections is shown here, and thirdly, there are guarantees of civil and political and social human rights.
5. Imitation. This form of democracy is also quite common today. It is characterized by a number of external attributes of popular power, but, in fact, it is not being implemented properly.
Forms of direct democracy
Under this regime, citizens themselves make political decisions and implement them. This is the so-called autocracy, which Seneca greatly appreciated and called it the highest power. Classical examples of this form of democracy: Nizhny Novgorod in the 12-14th centuries and Ancient Greece in the 5th and 4th centuries BC.
In this form, citizens are responsible for making and implementing their decisions. Its pros and cons lie mainly in organizational aspects: on the one hand, decisions are made quickly and are also implemented in a short time, as this is done by small groups of people. On the other hand, in large areas, the introduction and implementation of direct democracy is difficult.
Among the historical forms of direct democracy, there is a popular chamber, which was distributed on the territory of the Slavic states. Also on this list is the appella - a meeting held every month by the Spartans who have reached the age of 30. The Venetian and Florentine republics also distinguished themselves by the organization of public meetings, which were held several times a year, where the most important political and economic issues were resolved.
Today, there are countries in which there are only some elements of direct democracy: Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and the state of California (USA).