How many types of Politics?
Answers
Democracy
Democracies are based in principles and values, not necessarily common practices. There are two types:
Direct Democracy - Each citizen has an equal say in government operations, such as town hall meetings where residents vote on government business. Many states make changes to laws according to the vote of the people through ballot initiatives or referenda.
Representative Democracy - As in the United States, citizens elect representatives who make laws.
A basic tenant of a democracy is the system of free and fair elections, in which all citizens of legal age may participate. Democracies also share fundamental concepts:
Citizen responsibility - Citizens are expected to participate in the process of government.
Majority rule and individual rights - The majority decides on laws and determines who is charged with making them. The government is decentralized to the regional and local level, to be more accessible to the people and more responsive to their needs.
Protecting individual rights - A fundamental principle of democracy is protecting basic human rights such as free speech, freedom of religion, freedom to organize and freedom to fully participate in society.
Republic
In a republic, power rests with the people. Leaders are elected, rather than appointed or inherited, and may be recalled by the citizenry. In a broad definition, a republic is a government that excludes a monarch. Many republics in the 19th century were established to displace monarchs.
Dictatorship
A dictatorship is an authoritarian form of government, with one individual holding absolute power in ruling the country and enforcing the law. Dictators are often democratically elected, but then change the political system to ensure they remain in power. Additional aspects of dictatorships include:
Military Backing - Military dictatorships have a figurehead leader backed by a military organization, or the military holds an inordinate amount of power throughout the government.
No individual voice - In a dictatorship, the governed have no say in their government. Elections may be held, but the dictator is often the only candidate.
Human rights violations - To secure their power and control the citizenry, dictators frequently remove basic individual rights, such as freedom of speech and freedom to assemble. Those opposed to the government are often harshly punished or even executed.
Communism
Communism refers to the political ideology of common ownership of the means of production, where goods and products are shared by all in the society. Communism includes these concepts:
A classless society - All means of production are owned communally, private property is abolished and wage labor is eliminated. Resources are collected and redistributed to others.
Collective leadership - In communist countries, the power and function of government are often shared by a single group.
Distribution based on need - An abundance of goods produced by the collective leadership group is gathered to satisfy everyone’s needs.
Lack of personal freedom - In many communist systems, citizens have no say in the work they do or where they live.