Democracy as a form of government. Democracy concept

The people, the generally recognized rights and freedoms of man and citizen. A democratic state is the most important element of democracy in a civil society based on the freedom of people. The source of power and legitimation of all bodies of this state is the sovereignty of the people.

Sovereignty of the People means that:

• the subject of public power, both state and non-state, is the people as the totality of the entire population of the country;
• the object of the sovereign power of the people can be all those social relations that are of public interest on a national scale. This feature testifies to the completeness of the sovereign power of the people;
• The sovereignty of the power of the people is characterized by supremacy, when the people act as a single whole and are the only bearer of public power and the exponent of supreme power in all its forms and specific manifestations.

Subject of democracy may act:

• separate, their associations;
• government bodies and public organizations;
• the people in general.

In the modern understanding, democracy should be considered not as the power of the people, but as the participation of citizens (people) and their associations in the exercise of power.

The forms of this participation can be different (membership in a party, participation in a demonstration, participation in the elections of the president, governor, deputies, in filing complaints, statements, etc., etc.). If the subject of democracy can be either an individual person or a group of people, as well as the entire people, then the subject of democracy can only be the people as a whole.

The concept of a democratic state is inextricably linked with the concepts of a constitutional and legal state; in a certain sense, we can talk about the synonymy of all three terms. A democratic state cannot help but be both constitutional and legal.

A state can meet the characteristics of a democratic state only in the conditions of an established civil society. This state should not strive for statism, it should strictly adhere to the established limits of interference in economic and spiritual life, which ensure freedom of enterprise and culture. The functions of a democratic state include ensuring the general interests of the people, but with unconditional respect and protection of the rights and freedoms of man and citizen. Such a state is the antipode of a totalitarian state; these two concepts are mutually exclusive.

The most important features of a democratic state are:

1. real representative democracy;
2. ensuring the rights and freedoms of man and citizen.

Principles of a democratic state

The basic principles of a democratic state are:

1. recognition of the people as the source of power, the sovereign in the state;
2. existence of the rule of law;
3. subordination of the minority to the majority when making decisions and implementing them;
4. separation of powers;
5. election and turnover of the main bodies of the state;
6. public control over security forces;
7. political pluralism;
8. publicity.

Principles of a democratic state(in relation to the Russian Federation):

• The principle of respect for human rights, their priority over the rights of the state.
• The principle of the rule of law.
• The principle of democracy.
• The principle of federalism.
• The principle of separation of powers.
• Principles of ideological and political pluralism.
• The principle of diversity of forms economic activity.

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Ensuring human and citizen rights and freedoms A - the most important sign democratic state. It is here that the close connection between formally democratic institutions and the political regime is manifested. Only in a democratic regime do rights and freedoms become real, the rule of law is established and the arbitrariness of the state's security forces is eliminated. No lofty goals or democratic declarations can give a state a truly democratic character if the generally recognized rights and freedoms of man and citizen are not ensured. The Constitution of the Russian Federation has enshrined all the rights and freedoms known in world practice, but conditions still need to be created for the implementation of many of them.

A democratic state does not deny coercion, but presupposes its organization in certain forms. This is prompted by the essential duty of the state to protect the rights and freedoms of citizens, eliminating crime and other offenses. Democracy is not permissiveness. However, coercion must have clear limits and be carried out only in accordance with the law. Human rights bodies not only have the right, but also the obligation to use force in certain cases, but always acting only by legal means and on the basis of the law. A democratic state cannot allow the “loosening” of statehood, that is, failure to comply with laws and other legal acts, or ignoring the actions of state authorities. This state is subject to the law and requires law-abiding from all its citizens.

The principle of democracy characterizes Russian Federation as a democratic state (Article 1 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation). Democracy presupposes that the bearer of sovereignty and the only source of power in the Russian Federation is its multinational people (Article 3 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation).

The principle of federalism is the basis of its state-territorial structure of the Russian Federation. It contributes to the democratization of government. Decentralization of power deprives central authorities states have a monopoly on power, granting individual regions independence in resolving issues of their lives.

The fundamentals of the constitutional system include the basic principles of federalism that determine the state-territorial structure of the Russian Federation. These include:

1. state integrity;
2. equality and self-determination of peoples;
3. unity of the system of state power;
4. delimitation of jurisdiction and powers between government bodies of the Russian Federation and government bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation;
5. equality of subjects of the Russian Federation in relations with federal government bodies (Article 5 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation).

The principle of separation of powers- acts as a principle of organizing state power in a legal democratic state, as one of the foundations of the constitutional system. It is one of the fundamental principles of the democratic organization of the state, the most important prerequisite for the rule of law and ensuring the free development of man. The unity of the entire system of state power presupposes, on the one hand, its implementation on the basis of division into legislative, executive and judicial, the carriers of which are independent bodies of the state (Federal Assembly, Government of the Russian Federation, courts of the Russian Federation and similar bodies of the constituent entities of the federation).

The principle of separation of powers is a prerequisite for the rule of law and ensuring the free development of man. The separation of powers, therefore, is not limited to the distribution of functions and powers between various government bodies, but presupposes mutual balance between them so that none of them can gain dominance over the others and concentrate all power in their own hands. This balance is achieved by a system of “checks and balances”, which is expressed in the powers government agencies allowing them to influence each other and cooperate in solving the most important state problems.

Principles of ideological and political pluralism. Ideological pluralism means that ideological diversity is recognized in the Russian Federation; no ideology can be established as state or mandatory (Article 13, Part 1, 2 of the Constitution).

The Russian Federation is proclaimed a secular state (Article 14 of the Constitution). This means that no religion can be established as state or compulsory. The secular character of the state is also manifested in the fact that religious associations separated from the state and equal before the law.

Political pluralism presupposes the presence of various socio-political structures functioning in society, the existence of political diversity, and a multi-party system (Article 13, Parts 3, 4, 5 of the Constitution). The activities of various associations of citizens in society influence the political process (formation of government bodies, adoption of government decisions, etc.). A multi-party system presupposes the legality of political opposition and promotes the involvement of wider sections of the population in political life. The Constitution only prohibits the creation and activities of such public associations, the goals or actions of which are aimed at violently changing the foundations of the constitutional system and violating the integrity of the Russian Federation, undermining the security of the state, creating armed groups, inciting social, racial, national and religious hatred.

Political pluralism is freedom of political opinion and political action. Its manifestation is the activity of independent associations of citizens. Therefore, reliable constitutional and legal protection of political pluralism is a necessary prerequisite not only for the implementation of the principle of democracy, but also for the functioning of the rule of law.

The principle of diversity of forms of economic activity implies that the basis of the Russian economy is a social market economy, which ensures freedom of economic activity, encouragement of competition, diversity and equality of forms of ownership, and their legal protection. In the Russian Federation, private, state, municipal and other forms of property are equally recognized and protected.

Democracy concept as a special form of state-political structure: (democracy) is a form of state characterized by a number of features: the source of power is the people; free elections as a way to form government institutions; equality of citizens; guarantee of individual rights and freedoms, etc.

In the twentieth century, the word “democracy” became perhaps the most popular among peoples and politicians around the world. Today there is not a single influential political movement that does not claim to implement democracy and does not use this term for its own goals, which are often far from genuine democracy. What is democracy and what are the reasons for its popularity?

Etymological definitions of democracy. IN modern language The word "democracy" has several meanings. Its first, fundamental meaning is related to etymology, i.e. with the origin of this term. “Democracy” is translated from ancient Greek as “government of the people” or, using the definition of American President Lincoln, “government of the people, chosen by the people for the people.”

Derived from the etymological understanding is the broader second interpretation of democracy as a form of structure of any organization based on the equal participation of its members in management. In this sense, we talk about party, trade union, industrial and even family democracy. Understanding democracy in a broad sense, it can exist wherever there is organization, power and control.

Other, third and fourth, meanings of this term are also associated with the etymological understanding of democracy. In the third meaning, democracy is considered as an ideal of social order based on a certain value system and a corresponding worldview. The values ​​that make up this ideal include freedom, equality, human rights, popular sovereignty and some others.

In the fourth meaning, democracy is seen as social and political movement for democracy, the implementation of democratic goals and ideals. This movement arose in Europe under the banner of the struggle against absolutism for the liberation and equality of the third estate and, over the course of history, gradually expanded the range of its goals and participants. Modern democratic movements are extremely diverse. These are social democrats, Christian democrats, liberals, new social and other movements.

The concept of democracy as democracy (and other derivative interpretations of democracy) is normative, since it is based on a normative approach to this phenomenon, which presupposes extraneous categories based on human ideals, values ​​and wishes. Democracy is characterized in this case as an ideal based on fundamental values ​​such as freedom, equality, respect for human dignity, and solidarity. First of all, it is precisely this value content that democracy owes its popularity in the modern world.

Constitutive features of democracy. Taking into account the interrelation of normative definitions of democracy as a form of government, we can highlight its following characteristic features.

1. Legal recognition and institutional expression of sovereignty, the supreme power of the people. It is the people, and not the monarch, aristocracy, bureaucracy or clergy, that are the official source of power. The sovereignty of the people is expressed in the fact that it owns the constituent, constitutional power, that it chooses its representatives and can periodically replace them, and in many countries it also has the right to directly participate in the development and adoption of laws through popular initiatives and referendums.

2. Periodic election of the main bodies of the state. Democracy can only be considered a state in which persons exercising supreme power are elected, and elected for a certain, limited period. In ancient times, many peoples often chose kings for themselves, who then had the right to rule for life and even transfer this right by inheritance. (The ancient Greeks called an elective monarchy “esimnetia.”) However, in this case there was no democracy yet.

3. Equality of rights of citizens to participate in government. This principle requires at a minimum equality of voting rights. And in a modern, complexly organized political system, it also presupposes the freedom to create political parties and other associations to express the will of citizens, freedom of opinion, the right to information and to participate in the competition for leadership positions in the state.

4. Making decisions based on the majority and subordinating the minority to the majority in their implementation.

These requirements are the minimum conditions that allow us to talk about the presence of a democratic form of government in a particular country. However, real political systems based on the general principles of democracy differ very significantly from each other, for example, ancient and modern democracies, American and Swiss political systems, etc.

The named general principles of democracy make it possible to identify the main criteria that make it possible to distinguish and classify numerous theories and practical democratic models and, as it were, to measure them.

Direct, plebiscitary and representative democracies. The sovereignty of the people is the most important constitutive feature of democracy, serving as the basis for its assessment not only from the point of view of understanding this subject himself, but also in terms of the form of exercise of power by him. Depending on how the people participate in governance, who directly performs power functions and how, democracy is divided into direct, plebiscitary and representative (representative).

In direct forms of democracy, citizens themselves directly participate in the preparation, discussion and decision-making. This form of participation dominated in ancient democracies. In practice, it is possible in relatively small teams (at production enterprises, in communities, cities, etc.), and in cases where the decisions made are quite simple and participation in their preparation and discussion does not require special qualifications. In the modern world, direct democracy is found mainly at the level of local government, for example, in American and Swiss communities, in Israeli kibbutzim (communist-type settlements), etc. The prevalence of direct forms of democracy directly depends on the extent to which it is possible to decentralize the decision-making process and transfer the right to make them to relatively small, local groups.

Direct democracy usually includes the so-called imperative mandate, which implies the obligation of elected representatives to vote strictly in accordance with the instructions of the voters, their will. Thus, the Electoral College of the US President has the nature of an imperative mandate, obligated to cast their vote for the candidate who wins in the relevant states. An imperative mandate seems to preserve the will of voters, not allowing its bearers to participate in the discussion and adoption of compromise solutions.

An important (second) channel for citizen participation in the exercise of power is plebiscitary democracy. The distinction between it and direct democracy is not always made, since both of these forms of participation involve the direct expression of the will of the people, but it exists. Its essence is that direct democracy presupposes the participation of citizens at all the most important stages of the process (in preparation, adoption of political decisions and control over their implementation), and in plebiscitary democracy the opportunities for political influence of citizens are relatively limited. They are given the right, through voting, to approve or reject a particular draft law or other decision, which is usually prepared by the president, government, party or initiative group. The possibilities for the participation of the bulk of the population in the preparation of such projects are very small, even in cases where the citizens themselves are given the right to prepare and submit them for consideration by legislative bodies or to a popular vote.

Plebiscitary institutions are often used to manipulate the will of citizens, achieved, in particular, through ambiguous wording of issues put to vote. They, especially referendums and polls, are widely used at various levels of government: in communities, cities, regions, and throughout the state.

The third leading form of political governance in modern states is representative democracy. Its essence is the indirect participation of citizens in decision-making, in their selection of their representatives to government bodies, designed to express their interests, pass laws and give orders. Representative democracy is necessary especially when, due to large territories or other reasons, regular direct participation of citizens in voting is difficult, and also when complex decisions are made that are difficult for non-specialists to understand.

Democracy is generally impossible to define - everything is so confusing here. The very belief in the good of a democratic system cannot be considered a delusion. The last one is blind faith in democracy as the only possible form social structure; this does not take into account the different meanings of this word, and there are at least six of them: democracy as a social system, certain type of this structure, a free structure, a legal system, social democracy and, finally, the dictatorship of the party.

1. So, democracy, first and foremost, is a social system in which the people rule, choosing their own rulers, or power. If so, the expression “people's democracy” sounds very strange, because it is the same as “people's democracy”, i.e. “butter butter”. "Democracy" comes from the Greek demos - people and kratein - to rule.

2. Democracy often means not democracy in general, but a certain type, form of democratic structure. There are many forms of democracy. One of them is direct democracy, which previously existed in some Swiss cantons, when the whole people gathered at the so-called Landesgemeinde (general land meetings) and decided on the most important state problems; To some extent, direct democracy also exists in the Swiss confederation. Another form of democracy is parliamentary democracy, where the people elect their representatives (parliamentarians). She can also take various shapes: For example, there is presidential democracy (the people elect a president to whom ministers are accountable) and party democracy (ministers are accountable to the Sejm). Sometimes it is argued that the only “true” form of democracy is one. This is obvious superstition.

3. A free social system should be distinguished from democracy as a system, i.e. one in which, for example, freedom of the press, assembly, etc. flourishes. Under a democratic system, such freedoms are limited (for example, during times of war), and on the contrary, in a non-democratic system people sometimes enjoy many freedoms.

4. Sometimes by democracy they mean legality, although legality is something else. Legal is the social order in which the law is respected. In many states with a democratic system, the law is not respected, and vice versa, there are states that are not democratic, but legal. The picture of the latter type of state is drawn by a well-known anecdote from the time of Frederick the Great, in whose state there was no trace of democracy. Royal officials took away his mill from the miller. Melnik said that he would go to Berlin, because, he said, “there are still judges in Berlin.” This means that this miller believed in the legal character of his undemocratic state.

5. One should also not confuse a democratic system, which is relatively free and legal, with the so-called “social democracy”. The latter is a society in which there are no psychological barriers between different social strata. The fact that social democracy and a democratic system are different things is evidenced by the existence of countries with democratic systems, in which, however, such barriers are too large, and, conversely, there are countries with non-democratic systems, in which people belonging to different social strata cannot are not separated from each other. Such social democracy often exists even in countries ruled by a tyrant who seeks to turn all his citizens into slaves.

6. Finally, democracy is the name given to the dictatorship of a party; for example, Marxists-Leninists are accustomed to this; Tyrants in backward countries, where there is often only one party, also use similar terminology. To call such a system democracy is a gross misconception, because there is no democracy here in any of the above meanings: both in the sense of a democratic system, and freedom, etc.

Along with the confusion about democracy and claims about the existence of a single “true” democracy, there is another very common misconception. Some people are convinced that democracy, or one of the forms of democratic order, which has proven itself in a given country or in a given region, should be introduced throughout the world - in China, and in Ethiopia, and in Brazil. However, out of 160 states that exist in the world, only 21 have a democratic structure. This superstition is one of the worst and most shameful signs of inertia.

D. as a form of state-political. device arose along with the emergence of the state, which replaced the primitive communal clan and tribal self-government. Unlike other forms of state device, under D. the power of the majority, the equality of citizens, the rule of law are officially recognized, and elections are carried out. state bodies, etc. They distinguish directly. and will introduce. D. In the first case, basic. decisions are made directly by voters (for example, at public assemblies, through referendums), in the second

elected institutions (eg parliaments). But in the conditions of an exploitative society, democratic.

forms and institutions inevitably remain limited and formal, and through democracy, as a form of state, the dominance of the class is exercised, in whose hands are the means of production and politics. power. The most developed historical type of D. in an exploitative society is the bourgeois. D. is a form of dictatorship of the bourgeoisie.

Truly scientific. D.'s understanding was first developed by the classics of Marxism-Leninism. Analyzing the essence of bourgeois. D., Marxism-Leninism first of all reveals its class content, emphasizing that no matter what development the democratic institutions and citizens rights, as long as there is private ownership of the means of production and the exploitation of labor, as long as political power is in the hands of the bourgeoisie, D. is inevitably limited and hypocritical. Limited because it does not cover the most important thing - the conditions material life people where gross inequality and exploitation of some social classes and groups by others continue to exist; hypocritical because it preserves all the contradictions between the proclaimed slogans and reality.

Having revealed the essence of the bourgeoisie. D. as a form of class rule of capitalists, Marxism-Leninism highlights ch. a feature that distinguishes it from other forms of exploitative states: in bourgeois-democratic. In a republic, the power of capital is exercised not directly, but indirectly. The presence of universal suffrage. law, parliament and the government responsible to it, the jury, the system of local self-government, the officially proclaimed inviolability of the person and home, freedom of the press and assembly - all this creates the appearance of “autocracy of the people.” In fact, for democracy. the shell hides the power of big capital.

But the limited class character of the bourgeois. D. does not mean that its institutions cannot be used by the working class. Democratic principles, rights, institutions - the result of the people's struggle. wt. No matter how limited and formal they may be under capitalism, the working class uses them to protect their economies. and political interests, for self-organization and education of the working masses. Although under democratic In a republic, the state remains a machine for the oppression of one class by another, an instrument of the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie, this does not mean. that the form of oppression is indifferent to the working class. The more rights and freedoms the proletariat wins, the more better conditions for his organization into a revolutionary. party, to promote scientific ideas. communism and inclusion of the wider people. masses in the struggle against the power of capital, the greater the opportunity to use democracy. capitalist institutions state, have their own press, seek the election of their representatives to local governments, send deputies to parliament. Therefore, the working class is fighting for the preservation and development of democracy. In modern conditions. revolutionary era of the transition from capitalism to socialism, the struggle for democracy becomes an integral part of the struggle for socialism.

Burzh. D. is a huge progress compared to state politics. organization of the Middle Ages. society. But it was and remains a form of class rule of the bourgeoisie, which K. Kautsky and other leaders of the 2nd International, who defended the idea of ​​the so-called. pure democracy and believed that on the basis of such, regardless of its class content, the proletariat is able to solve the revolutions facing it. tasks. But history has refuted these concepts. If the use by workers is democratic. rights and institutions really threaten to affect the fundamentals. economical interests and politics the power of the bourgeoisie, the last from

It seems that she has created the legality, grossly tramples D. and resorts to direct violence.

With the emergence of the Sov. state a new historical has appeared. type of democracy - socialist democracy. Socialism for the first time returns the concept of democracy to its true meaning, fills democracy and principles with real content. But this happens but as a result of only one revolution. transfer of power to the working class and its allies. Formation and development of socialism. D. is long enough. process. Basic socialist principles democracy were formulated by K. Marx and F. Engels and included in the theory of science. communism as part of the doctrine of socialism. state-ve. V.I. Lenin not only comprehensively developed this teaching, but also directly supervised the construction of socialism. D. The principles of D. of a new type have become a reality in many. countries. Socialist D. has become an established phenomenon. Socialist development D. found a detailed embodiment in the Constitution of the USSR.

For socialist D. characteristic traces. peculiarities. Being qualitatively new in its class content, political. phenomenon, it inherits all the best from democracies. gains of the working people, adapts them to new conditions, significantly renews and enriches them.

Along with creative Using the heritage of the past, socialism creates completely new, previously unknown principles and forms of democracy. The possibilities for this are inherent in the very nature of socialism. building. Thus, the dominance of societies. ownership of the means of production means that the object is democratic. management and control become economics and culture, which in modern conditions. state-monopoly capitalism is only partially regulated by the bourgeoisie. state

The fundamental feature of socialism. D. also lies in the fact that it is constantly developing and improving. With the construction of a developed socialist society and as we move further towards communism, new means and methods are born for the participation of workers in the affairs of society. Steady growth of societies. wealth expands social rights workers, but the development of culture, ideological and morals. the consciousness of the people creates the preconditions for the increasingly widespread use of political. free

Democracy in politics The system of socialism is ensured by a combination of methods. and directly D. In the USSR the principle of people. representation is embodied in the People's Councils. deputies, who make up from bottom to top unified system authorities that manage the affairs of the state. Direct methods D. are used under socialism on a scale that was unthinkable in the past. This is a national thing. discussion of draft major laws, activities of party, trade union, Komsomol and other societies. org-tions, system of people. control, farms. cooperatives, creative unions, various associations (by profession, by interest, by place of residence, by departmental affiliation, etc.), through which citizens widely participate in decisions regarding politics, production. and everyday issues.

The guiding force of these organizations is socialist. society is communist. the consignment. Management of society by communists. the party is provided by Ch. condition for true democracy of the state. power - the compliance of its policies with the interests of the entire people. In conditions of developed socialist society in the USSR developed socio-politically. and the ideological unity of the entire people. Identity of fundamental interests of owls. people does not, however, deny specific diversity. interests of various social, national, age, professional. and other population groups. Acting as a spokesman for the common interests of the entire Sov. people, the party at the same time takes into account and agrees on specifics. interests various groups population, ensures their satisfaction in line with a unified policy. Leadership from the party guarantees, etc. in principle important condition democracy of the state power - compliance of its policies with the interests of the progressive development of society. Building its activities on the basis of Marxist-Leninist theory, the CPSU achieves not only max. satisfaction of the material and spiritual needs of workers, but also constant movement towards the goals specified by scientific. communism.

One of the fundamental principles of D. is equality. Under capitalism, the implementation of this principle was limited only to the formal equality of citizens before the law. Transfer of production funds to companies. property caused a radical revolution in the entire system of societies. relationships. The conditions for the exploitation of man by man were eliminated and thereby the only reliable and real foundation for equality was created. Political equality of citizens socialist. society is clearly manifested in the fact that all citizens can participate in the affairs of the state, regardless of race or nationality. belonging, gender, religion, education, residence, social origin, property. position and past activities. Enormous progress has been made in overcoming various types social inequality, affirmation of equality of nations, equality of men and women.

Socialist D. creates conditions for individual freedom. Socialist constitutions. countries, other laws along with broad socio-economic. The rights proclaimed are freedom of speech, press, assembly, freedom of conscience, inviolability of home, privacy of correspondence, etc. of citizens. freedom. Moreover, these integral elements of D. are not simply declared, but actually guaranteed by the transfer into the hands of the people of the means of production, of all societies. wealth, the very way of life under socialism. In socialist countries, the rights and freedoms of citizens are inseparable from their responsibilities.

Socialist Democraticism under communism will develop into a communist system of public self-government, which, however, does not mean the abolition of democracy. principles and institutions. On the contrary, in communist society they should get further development, and only the state will wither away as a political instrument. power and that form of D., which is connected with it.

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Democracy can be direct or indirect. In the first case, the government of the state is carried out directly by its citizens. In the second, the country is governed by deputies to whom the population delegates these powers. In this case, management occurs on behalf of the people.

Democracy has its defining characteristics. Basic characteristic feature democratic system is human freedom, which is elevated to the rank of law. That is, the effect of any normative act and document adopted by public authorities should not limit this freedom or infringe upon it.

Democracy implies that power should not be concentrated in one hand. Therefore the power has different levels– regional and local. They are the ones who directly interact with the population and are called upon to take into account their wishes and aspirations in their activities and be guided by them. Any citizen living in this territory has the right to directly interact with government officials.

The fullness of interaction between citizens and authorities is not limited by religious or ideological views, or nationality. A democratic society and state assumes that all its members and citizens have equal rights. In such a country and society, everyone is given freedom of speech and the opportunity to create and participate in any religious, social or political organizations.

The people have the right to express their opinions through referendums and freely choose government bodies and the head of state. This is not only a right, but also a civic duty. The participation of the population, which is a conglomeration of people with different religious views and different mentalities, in elections allows all groups of the population to realize their opportunity to govern the country. This allows the views and needs of all citizens to be taken into account.

Democracy is that version of the government system in which it is possible to achieve consensus between all layers and public associations representing the state.

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Totalitarian democracy is also called imitative democracy, since in this political regime the power of the people is only declared, but in reality ordinary citizens do not take part in governing the state or participate minimally.

Totalitarianism and its signs

Totalitarian democracy is one of the forms of totalitarianism, but at the same time, outwardly it retains the signs of a democratic system: the rotation of the head of state, the election of government bodies, universal suffrage, etc.

Totalitarianism is a system of government that presupposes the establishment of total control over all aspects of the life of society in general and each person in particular. At the same time, the state forcibly regulates the lives of all members of society, completely depriving them of the right to independence not only in actions, but also in thoughts.

The main signs of totalitarianism: the existence of a single state ideology, which must be supported by all residents of the country; strict censorship; state control for funds mass media; relations in the country are based on the following position: “only what is recognized by the authorities is allowed, everything else is prohibited”; police control is carried out over the entire society in order to identify dissidents; bureaucracy in all spheres of life.

Under totalitarianism, the border between state and society is actually erased, since everything is controlled and strictly regulated. The area of ​​a person's personal life is very limited.

Totalitarian democracy in history

The reasons for the formation of totalitarian democracy are still debatable. Such systems are formed, as a rule, after the abrupt establishment of democracy in countries with an authoritarian or totalitarian regime: a political coup, revolution, etc. Usually in these cases the population is not yet sufficiently politically literate, which is often abused by people who come to power. Despite the fact that government bodies are elected by popular vote, the results of these elections are always predictable in advance. Moreover, such stability is largely ensured not through direct manipulation. Administrative resource, media control, public organizations, economics and investment - these are the tools used by the ruling elite in a system such as a totalitarian democracy.

A striking example of such a political system in history is the state structure of the USSR. Despite the proclamation of the constitution and the declaration of universal equality, in fact the country was led by the highest ranks of the Communist Party. The political system in the Soviet Union is analyzed in detail in the book of the famous French humanist philosopher Raymond Aron, “Democracy and Totalitarianism.”

In ordinary language about complex things

There is no need to think that democracy is something new history. The concept itself was introduced into use by the ancient Greeks about five hundred years BC. Directly translated from Greek, “democratia” means “democracy”. However, it should be noted that the Greek nobility pronounced it with a different meaning than today. According to researchers, aristocrats used these words to express contempt for commoners who made it to government. But be that as it may, the concept has firmly entered into everyday life and today it has a completely different color.

From the time of ancient Rome, the founder of democracy, various peoples and states, one way or another, tried to implement the principles of complete democracy. In Northern Europe these were the Scandinavian countries. The Vikings held a meeting, the so-called Thing, at which all issues of governing the country and foreign policy. In another part of Europe, on the territory of modern Sweden, democracy gave rise to a new form - a republic, and subsequently a confederation. And of course England, which collected and improved the experience of its predecessors. A national parliament arose on its lands. Here, free people and nobles simultaneously participate in the government of the country. They are joined by regional and various national assemblies. All members of parliament must be selected.

If we talk in simple words, then democracy is a state structure in which all citizens control their own order of life and influence public life. Every person has the right to free expression of will, the right to determine his choices and obligations, taking into account the interests of the entire society. Democracy gives the opportunity to participate in government and has equal rights regardless of age, gender and social status.

Main definitions

The concept of democracy today is interpreted in two directions. This is a way of regulating domestic and foreign policy, organizing interaction between authorities within the country. The type of statehood and legal regime are also called. When calling a country democratic, they mean a combination of these two concepts. This means that the people within it are recognized as the supreme power, and the state. The authorities and government of the country are elected. The basic principles of complete democracy can be considered:

• The power of the majority.
• Selectivity of power and the head of state, including.
• Power sharing.
• Law supremacy.
• Protection of the rights and freedoms of everyone.
• Equality.

There are two types of democracy: direct and representative. The first form implies that decisions are made directly by every citizen of the country. If citizens elect their representatives to government bodies, then this type will be called representative. As a rule, there are no countries with the manifestation of any one type of democracy. The symbiosis of the two forms is manifested in the ability of citizens to express their will directly on some issues. There are also other combinations of modes. England can be considered a striking example of such a phenomenon. It is a monarchical state in form, but essentially a democratic one. The head is the king, but he is not involved in governing the country. Parliament is elected. Who conducts the affairs of the state.

There are five stages of development of democracy:

• "Peace" is the first stage. The fundamental right of everyone is the right to survival and security. The development of a democratic society begins with the provision of primitive rights.
• The second stage is “freedom”. The state, striving for freedom of the individual, market and expression of will, is going through the next stage of development.
• The right to “equality” is determined by the state at the third stage of improvement. Infringement of freedom and slavery are unacceptable.
• “Brotherhood” is the fourth degree of development. Social equality and equality of rights between people with different incomes indicates a fairly high level of democracy. Equal chances within a country is a welfare state.
• The pinnacle of evolution and the fifth stage of development of democracy is “ Environment" Humanity thinks about environmental reliability, protection of wildlife and habitat only when it is safe, well-fed and free.

Democracy does not have a clear form and content.

All concepts are united by one essence - democracy and equality. But a person by nature is not born absolutely the same. The talents, abilities and physical limitations of some lead to complaints about injustice in the distribution of goods and freedoms within society. Submission to the majority becomes a stumbling block in this form of government. Conflict of interests and dissatisfaction of individuals leads to unwillingness to obey general rules. Therefore, today there is no ideal democratic society.

I would like to end with the wonderful words of Winston Churchill: “democracy has many disadvantages, but it also has one advantage: so far no one has invented anything better.”