Types of democracy refers to the various governance structures that embody the principles ofdemocracy ("rule by the people") in some way. Democracy is frequently applied togovernments (ranging fromlocal toglobal), but may also be applied to other constructs like workplaces, families, community associations, and so forth.
Types of democracy can cluster aroundvalues. Some such types, defined asdirect democracy (orparticipatory democracy, ordeliberative democracy), promote equal and direct participation in political decisions by all members of the public. Others, including the many variants ofrepresentative democracy (i.e., constitutional), favor more indirect or procedural approaches to collectiveself-governance, wherein decisions are made by elected representatives rather than by the people directly.[1]
Types of democracy can be found across time, space, and language.[2] The foregoing examples are just a few of the thousands of refinements of, and variations on, the central notion of "democracy."[3]
Adirect democracy, orpure democracy, is a type of democracy where the people govern directly, by voting on laws and policies. It requires wide participation of citizens in politics.[4]Athenian democracy, orclassical democracy, refers to a direct democracy developed in ancient times in the Greek city-state of Athens. Apopular democracy is a type of direct democracy based on referendums and other devices of empowerment and concretization of popular will.
Aparticipatory democracy or semi-direct democracy is a form of government in which citizens participate individually and directly in political decisions and policies that affect their lives, rather than through elected representatives.
Anindustrial democracy is an arrangement which involves workers making decisions, sharing responsibility and authority in the workplace (see alsoworkplace).
Arepresentative democracy is an indirect democracy where sovereignty is held by the people's representatives.
Aliberal democracy is a representative democracy withrule of law, protection for individual liberties and rights, and limitations on the power of the elected representatives.
Anilliberal democracy is a representative democracy with weak or no limits on the power of the elected representatives to rule as they please.
Types of representative democracy include:
Parliamentary democracy – a democratic system of government where the legislative branch (theparliament) appoints the executive branch (typically a cabinet), which is headed by aprime minister who is considered the head of government.
Westminster democracy – parliamentary system of government modeled after that of the United Kingdom, in which the prime minister is the head of the executive government yet subject to anon-executive head of state, typically a monarch, who providesethical advice and serves as the titular head of the armed forces.
Presidential democracy – a democratic system of government where the head of government is also head of state (typically apresident) and leads an executive branch that is separate from the legislative branch.
Jacksonian democracy – a variant of presidential democracy popularized by U.S. president Andrew Jackson which promoted the strength of the executive branch and the presidency at the expense of Congressional power.
Representative democracies often containpolitical parties, which are groups of politicians with similar views who work together to win elections. Depending on how many major parties exist, a representative democracy can have one of the followingparty systems:
Dominant-party system – a system where only one political party can realistically win enough votes to become the government, by itself or in a coalition government.
Two-party system – a system where only two parties or alliances, typically placed either side of the center, have a realistic chance of winning a majority of votes. Other parties are very minor or solely regional.
Multi-party system – a system in which multiple political parties have the capacity to gain control of government offices, separately or in coalition.
Non-partisan system – a system in which universal and periodic elections (by secret ballot) take place without reference to political parties.
Ademarchy is a form of government where people are randomly selected from the citizenry throughsortition to either act as general governmental representatives or to make decisions in specific areas of governance (defense, environment, etc.).
Anorganic or authoritarian democracy is a democracy where the ruler holds a considerable amount of power, but their rule benefits the people. The term was first used by supporters ofBonapartism.[5]
Areligious democracy is a form of government where the values of a particular religion have an effect on laws and policies, often when most of the population is a member of the religion. Examples include:
Adversialism, orAdversial Democracy – with an emphasis on freedom based on adversial relationships between individuals and groups as best expressed in democratic judicial systems.
Democratic centralism – an organizational method where members of a political party discuss and debate matters of policy and direction and after the decision is made by majority vote, all members are expected to follow that decision in public.
Economic democracy – theory of democracy involving people having access to subsistence, or equity in living standards.
Grassroots democracy – emphasizes trust in small decentralized units at the municipal government level, possibly using urban secession to establish the formal legal authority to make decisions made at this local level binding.
Guided democracy – a form of democratic government with increased autocracy where citizens exercise their political rights without meaningfully affecting the government's policies, motives, and goals.
Inclusive democracy – a left-libertarian formulation of democracy that includes democracy in the social, political, economic, and ecological spheres; primarily due to Greek philosopherTakis Fotopoulos.
Interactive democracy – a proposed form of democracy utilising information technology to allow citizens to propose new policies, "second" proposals and vote on the resulting laws (that are refined by Parliament) in a referendum.
Jeffersonian democracy – named after American statesman Thomas Jefferson, who believed in equality of political opportunity and opposed to privilege, aristocracy and corruption.
Liquid democracy – a form of democratic control whereby voting power is vested in individual citizens who may self-select provisional delegates, rather than elected representatives.
Market democracy – another name fordemocratic capitalism, an economic ideology based on a tripartite arrangement of amarket-based economy based predominantly on economic incentives through free markets, a democratic polity and a liberal moral-cultural system which encourages pluralism.
Military democracy -- a democracy with an elected and removable military leader, a council of elders and a popular assembly.
Multiparty democracy – an electoral democracy where the people have free and fair elections and can choose between multiple political parties, unlike dictatorships that have usually one party that dominates the other parties or it is the only legally allowed party to rule.
New Democracy – Maoist concept based onMao Zedong's "Bloc of Four Classes" theory in post-revolutionary China.
Participatory democracy – involves more lay citizen participation in decision making and offers greater political representation than traditional representative democracy, e.g., wider control of proxies given to representatives by those who get directly involved and actually participate.
People's democracy – multi-class rule in which the proletariat dominates.
Pseudo democracy – a type of system where voting and elections appear to be democratic but provide the citizenry with few or no other options than a particular leader. Some candidates are presented in such a way as to not be taken seriously. This form is often used in autocratic countries to give the illusion of democracy.
Radical democracy – type of democracy that focuses on the importance of nurturing and tolerating difference and dissent in decision-making processes.
Living Database of Democracy with Adjectives Gagnon, Jean-Paul. 2020. "Democracy with Adjectives Database, at 3539 entries". Latest entry April 8. Provided by the Foundation for the Philosophy of Democracy and the University of Canberra. Hosted by Cloudstor / Aarnet / Instaclustr.
^Christians, Clifford (2009).History of Communication: Normative Theories of the Media: Journalism in Democratic Societies. The United States: University of Illinois Press. p. 103.ISBN978-0-252-03423-7.
^Rothney, John Alexander Murray (1969).Bonapartism after Sedan. Cornell University Press. p. 293.
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