Government is an institution that controls a state at a particular time. A state can be described as an organization, often political in nature that has a body with control and monopoly of legitimate force. States can be sovereign, federated or under the rule of an external sovereign state. A sovereign state is one, which has autonomy of poser and decisions within its own boundary. Federated states are those, which are part of a federal government while countries under foreign rule are those, which do not have the power to exercise autonomy. A system of government or regime type is the political institutions by which a state is organized.
There are many systems of government established in various states in the world today. The sources of power for these systems come from various authorities. Power can come from the aristocracy, the people, religion, or force. Aristocracy creates monarchies and oligarchies where power is inherited by a bloodline of royal families. The people can bequeath power to their leaders through elections, nomination, or appointment. Power through religion is usually given to the religious elite in a society. They usually claim that their legitimacy is from God and that they are ordained to be leaders. Finally, a system of government can be established by force. This is when a group of individuals seizes power through violent means such a military coup. It is necessary to note that most countries in the world are ruled by a combination of these systems. This paper will examine democracy and socialism, which are some of the most common systems of government.
Democracy
A democratic state is a country in which eligible citizens have the power to elect their leaders through a voting process. This means that leadership is through the will of the majority. Those who are elected into office are those who get the most votes. There are various forms of democracy, which have been identified both in theory and in actual practice. The ideal type of democracy is one, which can prevent the government from using their authority to accumulate excessive power therefore destroying the balance of democracy (Kokkinidis 235). There are certain types of democracy, which were developed with the aim of ensuring the system is fully responsive to the needs and desires of the people. These are Consensus, deliberative and representative types of democracy.
Consensus democracy is one, which is established through a series consensus. The will of the majority does not always carry the day. This type of democracy is usually used where rights of the minority are under threat of domination by the majority. Deliberative democracy is characterized by deliberation before decision-making. This approach adopts aspects of consensus and majority rule. Deliberative democracy relies on critical debate and discussion as is witnessed during the legislation process. Representative democracy requires a process by which the people choose the leaders who will represent them in government. The representatives are expected to exercise the authority given to them for the best interest of their people.
Ideal democracy is based on specific assumptions or values, which justify the presence of a democratic system of governance. The first assumption of democracy is that everyone in society is important and worthy. Human dignity is paramount to participate fully in democratic processes. The second tenet of democracy is the freedom of choice and expression for the individual. This freedom should be accompanied by clear limits to deter abuse. Another assumption is that individuals have equal opportunity to all irrespective of color, creed, or caste. Individuals are also expected to be fully tolerant of leadership and any other individuals with divergent views (Kokkinidis 236). True democracy also requires people to be good citizens and exercise all their rights, duties, and responsibilities. Everybody is expected to cooperate by being open to others and giving as much as they receive. People are also encouraged to form groups and associations in a bid to encourage cohesiveness. These groups should be formed along common interests and purposes. Other assumptions expect citizens to have faith in change and in a peaceful process. Individuals within a democracy should be open and liberal in their acceptance of change. This is because society can only become better if it embraces change. Citizens should also avoid jealousy and any conflict that may arise from loss during a democratic process. The overall goal of democracy should be to conduct a peaceful process.
Aristotle differentiated the rule by few against the rule by many. He identified tyranny as the rule by one, aristocracy as the rule by few and democracy as the rule of the many. Aristotle identifies freedom as the underlying principle of democracy. In freedom, there was the aspect of ruling and being ruled. We are therefore free to choose the people to lead us and to stand for positions of leadership. This theory is idealist in nature because in a democracy the majorities always carry the day. Contesting for leadership is also not easy because it requires more than decision to vie.
Democracy is believed to have developed from historical and social factors. The need for political liberty and wider self-expression eventually led to the development of this system of government. One theory suggests that as more people became wealthy and adopted better living standards, they developed the need to control their basic survival by having a say in the political process. Other theories present education its resultant qualities of tolerance, political literacy, rationality, and participation as the main drivers of democracy.
All these theories indicate the need of the citizens to develop a system of government that allowed the more opportunities for self-expression and self-determination. Ideally, democracy should eliminate tyranny; promote the rights of the majority and the general freedom of most of the citizens. Democracy was also developed with the aim of promoting prosperity and human development by providing maximum opportunities growth. This is because non-performing leaders can be removed and replaced by better leaders. Democracy was the best way out of oppressive leadership and the beginning of the rule of the majority for the good of most citizens.
Socialism
Socialism looks at government from an economic point of view. Socialism is a system of government whereby the state controls the resources of production. The government takes ownership and administration of the production and distribution of goods and services. In a socialist economic system, goods and services are produced to meet the economic and human needs as opposed to production for private gain.
In politics, socialism advocates for a series of political philosophies such as reformism and revolutionary socialism. Political socialism aims to ensure equality in society and ensuring that there are neither rich nor poor individuals. This is done by rallying everyone to work hard and by rewarding each according to the fruits of their labor. Socialism in government refers to a series of strategies set by socialist political parties to achieve a socioeconomic system.
Known socialist such as Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx believed that the working class or those who earned a wage would reach a point of consciousness in which they would want to leave their wage slavery (Ochoa 155). The working class would seek their freedom by overthrowing the owners of the means of production or the capitalists. The overall result of this revolution would be a classless society, which would eventually collapse. Due to the oppressive nature of capitalism at the time, many hope for reform or a revolution to change the economic power in society. For the revolutionaries, reforms would take long and therefore the need for a quick approach to establishing a new socio-economic regime.
Socialist approaches to politics tend to agree that private ownership and control of capital are to blame for poverty, social inequality, low wages, and unemployment among the working class who are the majority. They also hold that the best solution to this problem is establishment of a central control of the means of production and distribution of wealth. What these theories do not agree on is the extent to which government controlled should be permitted. The overall outcome of socialism should be to achieve social justice for all because society in which economic protection of all is possible and the quality of life for all is good.
Ochoa (153) identifies 5 common themes in the ideologies and political theories of socialists. The first identifies society as an entity bigger than the individuals who make it. Human welfare is also considered as a desirable goal worth pursuing. The third theme is that human beings are by nature active and as a result, productive. The fourth theme common among socialist is that there is human equality. Finally, socialism is held by the belief that history creates opportunities for humans to achieve change as long as they continually work to achieve this desired change.
There have been attempts to combine ideals of socialism and democracy to create a new system of government. Social democracy is an approach favored by many socialist to achieve this goal. This approach emphasizes a gradual incorporation of socialist ideals into a capitalist economy. Others prefer the revolutionary approach, which is more radical in creating economic equality. Proponents of capitalism and economic liberals have criticized socialism as limiting liberty by entrusting all means of production to the government. The y argues that individuals should be given the freedom to grow their wealth and freely reap profits from private investment.
Conclusion
Democracy and socialism as form of government are both based on the need to achieve the greater good of the majority. Democracy allows all eligible individuals to use their voting right to elect leaders while socialism creates an opportunity for equitable wealth distribution. Both systems of government have advantages and disadvantages. Democracy often ignores the will of the minority. It also promotes intense completion, which could result in conflict. Socialism on the other hand does not protect citizens from corruption and pilferage by those in power. What both systems of government aspire for is to create a better standard of life for its citizens. This is a universal human desire, which should be sought by all governments regardless of the style adopted.
Work Cited
Kokkinidis, George. "In search of workplace democracy,” International Journal of
Sociology and Social Policy, 32.3/4 (2012): 233 – 256
Ochoa, Eduardo. "Is Socialism Possible? Elliott, Marx, and Mankind's Future,”
International Journal of Social Economics, 19.7/8/9 (1992):152 - 159
