The concept of democracy and non-democracy began with the advent of the state. The clear distinction between the two concepts became clear when democracy came into practice in 508 BC. The first form of democracy, known today as Athenian democracy, was introduced to Athens by Cleisthenes. Democracy has since evolved into a more nuanced form of statehood, as Abraham Lincoln described it in his Gettysburg Address, where he described democracy as "government of the people, by the people, and for the people." people ". The idea of ​​non-democracy has been prevalent for a long time, although forms of non-democracy have taken various forms. In a non-democracy, power does not belong to the people but rather to a person or group. Historically, all states were once non-democracies, primarily monarchies. Over time, different forms of non-democracies began to take shape, some of them being dictatorships, authoritarian regimes, etc. As states and governments become more complicated, the idea of ​​democracy and non-democracy and what constitutes under these two distinct concepts. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Democracy is defined as a type of government or political system run by citizens, that is, people who are members of a society. In a democracy, citizens hold a certain level of power and authority and actively participate in their government's political or decision-making process. Therefore, democracy as a system of government has four key elements: “A political system for choosing and replacing the government through free and fair elections. The active participation of the people, as citizens, in political and civic life. Protection of human rights. of all citizens. A rule of law, in which laws and procedures apply equally to all citizens. » The fundamental idea of ​​democracy is that government is based on the consent of the governed. Many Western political scientists consider the United States of America to be the most perfect example of democracy, where, through direct and indirect elections, citizens of the state can be involved in all decisions of the government and the 'State. In a democracy, the people are sovereign: they constitute the highest form of political authority. The powers of government are entrusted to them by the people, to the leaders of the state. The government only holds this power temporarily. Laws and policies require majority support in Parliament, but minority rights are protected in various ways. These means include the freedom to criticize their leaders and elected representatives. They are also free to observe all the different procedures followed by Parliament and the government. Elected representatives are required to listen to and submit to the scrutiny of the citizens who elected them. Therefore, citizens have the power of checks and balances that keeps the government on track. To keep the government on a constant rotation, elections must be held at regular intervals, as prescribed by the laws of each state. Those in power cannot extend their mandate without again seeking the consent of the people in elections. These elections are supposed to be administered by a neutral, fair and professional body that treats all political parties and candidates equally. For example, the Election Commission of India. These organizations allowvoters to vote in secret, without fear of intimidation and violence. The process must be free from corruption, intimidation and fraud. Therefore, independent observers observe the voting and vote counting to ensure that the process is free from such illegal situations. Democracies tend to have an impartial and independent court to resolve disputes over election results. This is why it takes a long time to organize good democratic elections. Any country can hold elections, but making them free and fair requires a lot of organization, preparation, and training on the part of political parties, election officials, and civil society organizations that monitor the process. For democracy to work, citizens must not only participate and exercise their rights but also observe certain principles and rules of democratic conduct. For example, they must respect the rule of law. Citizens of the state are required to question government decisions, but not to reject government authority. One of the fundamental requirements of democracy is compromise. Groups with different interests and opinions must be willing to sit down with each other and negotiate. Therefore, although there are different forms of democracy, these constitute the fundamental elements of a democratic state. In theory, democratic states can be considered the perfect example of the modern state. However, many problems arise in practice. Winston Churchill remarked: “No one claims that democracy is perfect or universal. In fact, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the other forms that have been tried from time to time. » Democracy has been criticized for various issues such as economic inefficiency, political unrealism, dysfunctional ideas and practices, moral corruption and socio-political problems. The concept of non-democracy is extremely broad and involves various forms of government, such as authoritarianism, monarchy, dictatorship, totalitarianism, etc. Non-democracy is fundamentally the opposite of democracy, where the head of state exercises total power over different parts of the government and the state. Power no longer belongs to the people but rather to a person or a group of people. people who make all decisions without the consent of the citizens of the state. To understand non-democracy, we need to look at the different forms of non-democracy. Monarchy, oligarchy, technocracy and theocracy. Authoritarianism is a form of social organization characterized by submission to authority as well as the administration of said authority. An authoritarian government is characterized by highly concentrated and centralized power maintained through political repression and the exclusion of potential challengers. It uses political parties and mass organizations to mobilize the population around the regime's objectives. Authoritarianism emphasizes the arbitrariness of law rather than the rule of law, including rigged elections and policy decisions made by a select group of officials behind closed doors. Authoritarianism is marked by the “indefinite political mandate” of an autocratic state or a state led by a ruling party. Totalitarianism is an extreme version of authoritarianism. Authoritarianism differs primarily from totalitarianism in that social and economic institutions exist without government control. In contrast, totalitarianism is a political system in which the state holds total authority over society and seeks tocontrol all aspects of public and private life whenever necessary. The term “authoritarian regime” refers to a state in which the sole holder of power – an individual “dictator,” a committee or junta, or a small group of the political elite – monopolizes political power. However, a totalitarian regime attempts to control virtually every aspect of social life, including the economy, education, art, science, private lives, and morals of citizens. The concept became prominent in Western anti-communist political discourse during the Cold War in order to highlight perceived similarities between Nazi Germany and other fascist regimes, on the one hand, and Soviet communism, on the other. A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government. in which the government is led by an individual: a dictator. In contemporary usage, dictatorship refers to an autocratic form of absolute rule exercised by rulers, unrestricted by law, constitutions, or other social and political factors within the state. A dictatorship is a form of government that has the power to rule without the consent of the governed (similar to authoritarianism). A monarchy is a form of government in which sovereignty is actually or nominally embodied by a single individual, the monarch. It is a form of government in which a state or polity is governed or controlled by an individual who usually inherits the throne by birth and reigns for life or until abdication. Monarchs may be autocrats (absolute monarchy) or ceremonial heads of state who exercise little or no power or only reserve power for themselves, with actual authority vested in a parliament or other body such as an assembly constitutional. An oligarchy is a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with a small number of people. These people could be distinguished by their royalty, their wealth, their family ties, their education, their corporate or military control. These states are often controlled by a few prominent families who pass their influence from one generation to the next. Forms of government and other political structures associated with oligarchy generally include aristocracy, meritocracy, plutocracy, military junta, technocracy, and theocracy. Non-democracies have become a central idea in the debate over whether Western democracy, particularly Western democracy, has become a central idea in the debate over whether Western democracy, particularly Western democracy. Western, is a central idea. intrusion into the functioning of other states, has become an ideal in a world where there should be no ideal for how democracy should be implemented. According to Freedom House, Singapore is not an electoral democracy. Indeed, “the country is governed by a parliamentary system and elections are free of irregularities and electoral fraud, but the ruling PAP dominates the political process. The prime minister retains control of the elections department and the country does not have a structurally independent electoral authority. Opposition campaigns have generally been crippled by the ban on political films and television programmes, the threat of defamation suits, strict regulations on political associations and the PAP's influence over the media and courts.” However, Singapore has become a marvel to behold and applaud. Its success in the context of economics and development constitutes a direct attack on the idea that "Western-style" democracy is.”