DEMOCRACY VS MONARCHY
INTRODUCTION
All societies are established under some form of power or government which vary from country to country but they have the same fundamentals.
Monarch comes from the Greek mono, “one” and archon, “single ruler”. Monarch is a nation’s ruler or the head of the state by hereditary right. Monarchy applies to the State where the supreme authority is in the hands of the monarch. The family called the dynasty and it represents the country’s national identity. The monarch’s position is inherited and lasts until death or abdication.
- Why was government necessary?
Government’s history may not exactly be known but it is safe to say that government is as old as human society itself. At some point in the past as the population grew in a particular area, there was pressure to have a system of laws that the society members had to follow since chaos would arise in a society if there is no governing body to set guidelines to its constituents. Public order and maintenance of security is vital to every society.
- Types of government
All societies are established under some form of power or government which vary from one country to another. It should also be noted that government is constantly changing as history had shown. Today we will talk about the two most popular forms of government – Democracy and Monarchy
- Democracy
Democracy in a nutshell is a type of government – “Of the people, for the people, by the people.” In a democracy, power is vested in citizens of the country, to elect a government and the government is answerable to the people.
- Monarchy
Monarchy is a form of government which was very common during ancient and medieval times. Here, only one person will be the main authority in ruling the country. In general, monarchy’s position is inherited. The people of a country have no say on electing their ruler.
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The major differences between Democracy and Monarchy are:
DEMOCRACY VS 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, when 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. |
| Generally, the 2 types of democracies are direct democracy and a representative form of democracy. | Currently, there are different types of monarchies – absolute monarchy, semi-constitutional monarchy, constitutional monarchy, subnational monarchy, commonwealth realms. |
| 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. |
CONCLUSION
- Democracy vs Monarchy
Thus, after studying both the types of governments, it can be logically inferred that democracy is better than a monarchy. But a flawed democracy is a threat to rights and justice of people.
- Choosing a responsible leader
Handing over the responsibility of the entire country on a monarch is potentially risky, instead having a group of people to make decision seems to be fair. Any power in any modern nation should be put in the hands of someone who is accountable to the people of the nation and laws of the land. The governance is the most important factor for the proper functioning of the country.
Thus, the government and its leaders should have checks and balances and must be transparent, as much as possible.
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