Democratic Stuff All Through History

By Juliette Cruz


There are as many forms of government as there are different countries and people throughout the planet. Some forms of government might seem more ideal, while others seem harsh or strange. If people are gathering in any place, there will be a need for government of them. Democratic stuff is just one way to govern the people.

Most people are familiar with the various forms of governing people. The most popular types are democracy, communism and monarchies. There are different ideas that help to run each country, and some of the ideas may seem strange to foreigners. What's important is that the government exist to protect and take care of the people it rules.

Communism is sometimes called the rule of the workers. The idea behind communist rule is that there are no classes and that the people are supposed to be in charge of production of exports and product in the country. Countries that have communist governments allegedly include socialist countries like China and Russia.

A monarchy is the type of government people read about in history and fairytales, where a king or queen or even an emperor is in charge. In the United Kingdom there is still a constitutional monarchy, meaning the royal family has some say in government. However, in countries like Saudi Arabia or the Vatican City, the monarchies' rule is absolute, even if the head of state is elected.

Democracy is an ancient and old form of rule dating back to the days of Athens. In ancient Athens, people were often randomly selected to fill the judicial and administrative positions in the city. However, if someone was a woman, or under age twenty, they couldn't be considered a citizen and couldn't hold such a position. Slaves and foreigners of course also were excluded.

Ideally, democratic rule is taken care of by a body of people that are elected. No one person should rule in a true democracy. Individuals are selected to represent people, and those individuals take the viewpoints and values of that certain group of people up to the ears of the government itself.

Unfortunately, many people have stopped believing in the power of democracy. This is because it's very common for people to pin politicians as corrupted elected officials. The regular and average citizens, despite having the ability to vote, often choose not to. They often feel this is the best route to take because the people they vote for don't have anything to do with average citizens at all. However, not voting is a very bad idea.

True democracy only happens when people realize that they must play an integral role in government. Democratic stuff may seem pointless because the average citizen doesn't relate to the elected membership of the government. However, as history shows, people can and should hold the government accountable and that is best done through fair and peaceful voting done during appropriate times.




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