Difference between Democracy, Monarchy and Republic
About Democracy
- Democracy is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation (“direct democracy”), or to choose governing officials to do so (“representative democracy”).
- The word ‘democracy’ has its origins in the Greek language. It combines two shorter words: ‘demos’ meaning whole citizen living within a particular city-state and ‘kratos’ meaning power or rule.
- The term appeared in the 5th century BC to denote the political systems then existing in Greek city-states, notably Classical Athens, to mean “rule of the people”, in contrast to aristocracy, meaning “rule of an elite”.
- There are 3 major types of democracy – Direct democracy, Representative Democracy, Constitutional Democracy.
- The original form of democracy was a direct democracy. The most common form of democracy today is a representative democracy, where the people elect government officials to govern on their behalf such as in a parliamentary or presidential democracy.
- The values of freedom, respect for human rights and the principle of holding periodic and genuine elections by universal suffrage are essential elements of democracy.
About Monarchy
- A monarchy is a form of government in which power is primarily exercised by an individual ruler or monarch.
- It is a political system based on inheritance (the monarch’s relatives succeed), in which people are not authorized to cast votes.
- The word monarch derives from the Greek word monarchs which mean “that governs alone “.
- Within the monarchy, the role of the leader, i.e. a king or a queen is passed through generations, from parent to child, and so on. Monarchies believe in the Divine Right of Kings, which basically states that a king has been selected by God to rule the people.
- Not all citizens are treated equally before the law; some people have a higher preference depending on their rank. Citizens can obtain privileges, rights and freedoms depending on the inclinations of the monarch.
- A monarchy may be a limited monarchy, a constitutional monarchy, or an absolute monarchy. A limited monarchy is one in which the royalty have only ceremonial powers.
- A constitutional monarchy, parlimentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises authority in accordance with a written or unwritten constitution.
About Republic
- A republic is a form of government in which “supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives”.
- It is based on the principle that there should be no monarch and that the people who make up the state should be able to choose their own representative.
- The term developed its modern meaning in reference to the constitution of the ancient Roman Republic, lasting from the overthrow of the kings in 509 BC to the establishment of the Empire in 27 BC.
- The 5 types of Republics are Constitutional Republic, Parliamentary Republic, Presidential Republic, Federal Republic, Theocratic Republic.
- In this system, people can choose someone to represent their interests. People have rights and are not simply kept under authority. To ensure the rights of citizens, the laws set forth in the Constitution are followed.
- As in the republics there are no monarchs, the head of state receives the title of President. If this is also the head of government, the system is known as the presidential system. In some States, the main political role is not exercised by the President; but by the Legislative Assembly. In these cases the presidential role is purely ceremonial. In parliamentary systems, the prime minister is the head of government and is the one who exercises the highest authority.
Difference between Republic and Monarchy
| Republic | Monarchy |
| It is a form of government in which the people or their elected representatives possess the supreme power. | It is a form of governance reigned by a king, queen or an emperor. |
| One of the most common type of modern day government. | One of the oldest forms of government. |
| The government is elected by the people. | The crown is passed from one generation to another. |
| The government makes the law for the people. | The king makes law in absolute monarchy. In a constitutional monarchy, the government has the power to make the law. |
| The elected representatives of the people rule. | It is the family of monarchs who rule. |
| Example : India, France, United States, Indonesia, Isreal, Laos, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, Singapore, etc. | Example : United Kingdom, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Bahrain, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Japan, etc. |
Difference between Democracy and Monarchy
| Democracy | Monarchy |
| When a country is ruled by a Government elected by its people through elections, then it is called a Democracy. | When a country is ruled by Kings and Queens, and the right to rule a country is passed through a dynasty and not through elections, then it is called a monarchy. |
| The elected representatives make the laws, rules and regulations on behalf of the people, for the welfare of the people. | The laws are framed by the Kings and Queens. People have no say in the formulation of laws. |
| The elected representatives are held accountable by the people of the country. Hence elections are held and representatives lose their right to rule if they do not meet the expectations of the people. | The Kings and Queens have no accountability. People do not have the power to remove Kings and Queens from power if they are dissatisfied with their administration. |
| People have the freedom to give their feedback on policies, have the option to bring about changes in the policies and they have the right to condemn the Government. | People do not have the right to condemn the Monarchy. |
| People do not face oppression from a democratically elected Government. | People may face oppression if the ruler is a tyrant. |
| People are considered equal in a democracy. | In a Monarchy people are not considered as equals. |
| Concept of Democracy originated in Greece. Athenian Democracy is often described as the first known democracy in the world. | Monarchy was prevalent in the Medieval and Ancient times and still continues in a few countries. |
| Some of the examples of democracy are India, USA, France etc. | Currently, some of the examples of Monarchy are Middle East countries like the United Arab Emirate (UAE) and Saudi Arabia. |
Democracy vs Republic
| Democracy | Republic |
| In Democracy the power is in the hands of the people. | In the Republic, power is in the hands of individual citizens. |
| In a democratic system, laws are made by the majority. | In the Republic system, laws are made by the elected representatives of the people. |
| In a democracy, the will of the majority has the right to override the existing rights. | In the Republic system, the will of the majority cannot be overridden since the constitution will protect those rights. |
| A country can have more than 1 type of democracy. | A country can have more than 1 type of Republic. |
| In a Democracy there are no constraints on the Government. | In a Republic there are constraints on the Government. |
| In a Democracy, the main focus is the general will of the people. | In a Republic, the main focus is on the Constitution. |
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