This is a really interesting question that requires initially some fundamental answers and clarification on the meaning of the term democracy before gradually moving into the area of comparative study and definition of the different democratic systems and how they compare to other forms of politics. This paper will then continue to conclude that what is valid here is not so much about the quest for an answer, for the varying differences of viewpoints about democracy itself but that it is all relative in the end and within the framework of the bigger picture of politics it is about the different forms of political discourse.
The notion of Democracy in its purest and simplistic form hails from the Greek word demos or the people and means a government form in which power is vested in the people. Democracy is popular sovereignty in that at its core lies the concept of the people choosing government through regular free, and fair elections. Social and political philosopher Jean-Paul Gagnon claims that there are currently on record more than 2,234 adjectives used to define and describe democracy. Democracy is an evolving idea so historically on record there are more democracies than there are countries in the world. Although most academic scholars agree that variants of representative democracy seem to be universally accepted around the world.
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At this juncture it is important to present a classical standard listing of the types of democracies available that is currently in use today:
Direct Democracy also known as pure democracy dates from the 5th century BC in Ancient Greece and is thought to be the first or oldest non-authoritarian form of government. Decision making whether that be policy decisions or the law is made directly by a majority vote of the people hence the term direct democracy, and not by only the votes of the people's elected representatives. This form of government is possible in small states because of its logistics and functionality as is the case with Switzerland. Even though Switzerland is not a true democracy anymore all laws passed by the popularly elected national parliament are and can be vetoed by a direct vote of the people. They can also alter or change the Constitution through direct votes on amendments. Direct democracy at the state level in the US also applies when for instance recalling an election and in law-making ballot initiatives.
Representative Democracy or otherwise known as indirect democracy is perhaps the most widely adopted form of government in all countries today including for instance the US, France, and United Kingdom. This is a system of government where all citizens of a country who are eligible to vote elect officials to handle public policy and pass laws, thus acting on their behalf. The expectation is that these elected officials who act on behalf of the citizens will represent their views and needs when taking on the best course of action for the country as a whole or the state decision-making acting within its borders.
In a participatory democracy, the level of direct participation is greater than in classical forms of representative democracies. The people vote directly on issues of policy whilst their elected representatives are responsible for making it happen and realizing those policies. Although there are no classified participatory democracies as such there are many representative democracies that adopt this form of political science for social and political reform including the US and the United Kingdom.
In Europe and the English-speaking world, liberal democracy is seen as the most natural conclusive response to democracy itself. Popular sovereignty but limited by a constitution that guarantees individual freedoms and rights. Democracy by its very qualities does not necessarily have to be liberal. There are currently countries that have illiberal democracies when for instance voting still takes place but liberal characteristics, including for instance a free press and an independent judiciary have been seriously eroded and challenged.
Those who are staunch advocates of the notion of liberal democracy believe it is the best and the most optimum political form around claiming this makes these so-called illiberal societies essentially and characteristically undemocratic because taking away liberal ideas leads to cowing and pressuring by the state, which in turn insidiously leads to ineffective elections.
The qualities and ideals of liberal democracy are there so that any class, geographic, or business interest does not pressure or exploit the other to an unreasonable level and that there is a fair and universal agreement for government policies. It can be deduced as such that liberal democracy falls on two fundamental ideals - the right to free expression of political preference and peaceful competition between different interests, groups, and ideas.
In a parliamentary democracy for instance in the case of the United Kingdom, and Japan the population elects representatives to a legislative parliament with no third-party interference or influence. The head of government is a prime minister who is first elected to parliament by its citizens and then elected prime minister by a vote of the parliament. Additionally, the prime minister is a member of the parliament and as such takes on an active role in the legislative process of making and passing laws. In the classical sense, parliamentary democracies are a feature of a constitutional monarch a system of government in which the head of state is a king or a queen whose power is bound by the limits of a constitution
Pluralism and pluralist democracy stand for the idea that no individual or single interest group holds sway in politics for instance in an aristocracy, rather groups organized within the population compete to influence public policy and politics.
Constitutional democracy has been debated rigorously over the years but is generally defined as a system of government rooted in popular sovereignty and rule of law in which structures, powers, and limits of government are founded in a constitution. Thus, it can be agreed in a constitutional democracy, the constitution is the supreme law of the land as in the United States Constitution system of federalism.
A system of government rooted in a socialist economy is generally defined as democratic socialism where property and means of production are collectively controlled by a constitutionally established political hierarchy of the government. Sweden for instance provides free universal health care, education, and widely accessible welfare systems.
Having given a simple summary definition of democracy and listed the types of democratic systems currently operative the obvious next step is to put forward the question - but which type of democracy performs better than another? This is an interesting question that is being asked a lot more as democracy is seemingly
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