The power of the people is democracy: the kind of political structure of the state

One of the most common in the modern world is a political model in which the people are the bearer of power in the state. And this model can be implemented in several ways.

People power

If we talk about the political regime, where democracy is most pronounced, then it makes sense to remember democracy. It is in it that the principle of participation of citizens of the state in the destiny of the country and its structure is realized.

Paying attention to the definition of such a state system, one can come to the following thesis: democracy is a political regime in which the people are recognized as the only legitimate source of power in the country. Citizens can exercise control without intermediaries (direct democracy), or by choosing representatives who will pursue the interests of the population of the country (representative democracy). In any case, government bodies are formed, which are necessary for the competent management of the country's resources.

In principle, the main goal of democracy is to ensure the freedom of citizens and implement a strategy based on their interests. In this case, it makes sense to recall the position of Abraham Lincoln, who believed that democracy is the management of the people's name, the strength of the people and for the people.

Where was first realized the power of the people

This kind of state system, like democracy, was formed in ancient Greece. It was in this country that much attention was paid to the issue of citizen power and considered the various facets of such a model.

But this idea was realized by the Greeks in part, because both aliens and slaves could not be ranked as citizens. Later, in various medieval states, a similar electoral model was applied, under which not all were given equal rights. In other words, the power of the people was present, but not everyone had the honor of being ranked among the people.

Given these features, the researchers of this type of state system was defined as slave-owning democracy.

Features of modern democracy

As for the present society, the principles of democracy are implemented by various government bodies, which are the most suitable concept for countries with market economies (Western European countries, the USA).

This led to the formation of the following features of modern democracy:

• State power is divided into three key segments: legislative, executive and judicial;
• There is electivity of government bodies;
• The minority obeys the majority;
• Minority rights are protected;
• Political freedoms and rights are realized.

Direct Democracy

In order to understand what the state looks like, where the immediate power of the people is realized, we need to pay attention to the model of direct democracy.

The main difference of such a state system is the absence of intermediaries between the moment of forming the will of the people and its practical implementation. In modern society, this vision of the state is realized through elections, during which it became possible to express the will of the people as to who will represent the interests of citizens in public authorities.

Some countries act on the basis of legislation that provides direct forms of people's participation in the process of lawmaking. We are talking about various initiatives and referendums.

Under the referendum it is necessary to understand the expression of the power of the people By direct vote on key government issues. And it can be like a survey necessary to adjust the government's decision, and the process of re-election of power or the blocking of a specific law.

As far as the initiative is concerned, in this case it is a procedure necessary to offer citizens or legislatures at an official level the consideration of an issue. As a rule, it is used to collect the necessary number of signatures that allow the referendum to begin.

If we talk about alternative forms through which democracy manifests itself, the power of the people and freedom of citizens as such, it is worth mentioning processions, rallies, demonstrations and appeals to representatives of the authorities, regardless of their level. Often media is used as a tool for realizing democracy.

Representative democracy

With this form of government, there is no direct expression of the will of the people. In such countries, the institution of intermediaries is used, and such a system is called delegated democracy.

According to the election results, political leaders and deputies receive the so-called mandate of trust from the people. It is they who later are the instrument by which the power of the people is realized. Such actions take the form of decisions and specific bills, which are also developed by political structures.

Such relations between the people and their representatives are based on the concept of responsibility and authority of the authorities to citizens.

Advantages and disadvantages of different models

As you can see, under democracy, although power belongs to the people, it can be realized in a variety of ways, including through the formation of a layer of intermediaries.

In order to evaluate each model, it is worth considering its possible disadvantages and advantages. So, what disadvantages are present in direct democracy:

• In the opinion of opponents of this kind of democracy, the people are often emotionally unbalanced and do not have sufficient competence to make key political and economic decisions;
• The process of making concerted decisions with a sufficiently large number of participants is complex;
• The rapid decision-making is also hampered by a wide range of opinions;
• Another argument against the direct power of the people is the possibility of manipulating civil opinion by literate and not very conscientious leaders.

The obvious advantages of direct democracy are the following:

• With this form of government, the highest expression of the power of the people is civil initiatives and referendums, which helps to prevent distortion of the will of the inhabitants of the country;

• Such a system greatly expands the political horizon of citizens.

As for the cons of representative democracy, they look like this:

• Ordinary deputies are suspended from making key decisions;
• There is a separation of deputies from the people who elected them, which is expressed in a sufficiently high level of bureaucracy;
• Powerful pressure groups can have a priority impact on making important decisions;
• The democratic control from below is noticeably weakened.

But representative democracy has significant advantages, which clearly deserve attention:

• Deputies who have a high level of political qualifications, replace illiterate representatives of the people, which increases the likelihood of the formation and implementation of the most relevant development strategy of the state;
• It becomes possible to achieve a balance of interests during decision-making.

The purpose of the constitution of a democratic state

Speaking about such concepts as "power", "people", "state" and "citizens' freedom," it is important to pay attention to the reason for creating the constitution and its main tasks.

These are the following purposes:

• Expression and consolidation of the consent of the people;
• Fixing certain forms of government;
• Regulating the powers of government structures.

Also, the constitution allows you to initially understand the democratic values and only then engage in their implementation.

Conclusion

Studying the history of various states, one can come to an obvious conclusion: Democracy, which has a competent and honest form of incarnation within the framework of a specific country, is one of the most optimal political models of modern society. This means that freedom of the people will be preserved, and its interests are taken into account and realized.