Fundamentals of Democracy: Types and Structures

The Concept of Democracy

Democracy is a form of organizing groups of people, characterized by the principle that the ownership of power resides in all its members. Decisions are made to reflect the collective will of the group.

Strictly speaking, democracy is a form of government—the organization of the state—in which collective decisions are taken by the people through participatory mechanisms that directly or indirectly confer legitimacy to representatives. Broadly speaking, democracy is a form of social interaction in which members are free and equal, and social relations are established according to agreed-upon mechanisms (contractual relations).

Classical Classification of Government Forms

Democracy is also defined from the classical classification of government forms proposed by Plato and later Aristotle. They identified three basic types:

• Monarchy: Rule by one.
• Aristocracy: Government by “the best” (according to Plato).
• Democracy: Government of the crowd (according to Plato) or “the most” (according to Aristotle).

Direct Democracy (Radical or Face-to-Face)

Direct democracy, also called radical democracy or face-to-face democracy, is a mechanism in which each person associated with a particular group can equally expose viewpoints, initiatives, and proposals, directly acting and directing the collective effort.

It emphasizes the determination and mutual compliance of common agreements. It is a form of democracy in which members of an association (labor, business, or local citizens) are directly involved in the political decision-making process, with each member possessing equal rights and obligations.

In opposition to representative democracy, direct democracy rejects any representative purporting to speak on behalf of others or act in their place.

Representative Democracy

In representative democracy, the people delegate sovereignty to officials elected regularly through free elections. These authorities are expected to act in the interests of the citizens who elect them to represent them.

The Legislative Branch

The legislative branch, responsible for making or changing laws, is exercised by one or more assemblies or chambers of representatives. These representatives, who receive different names depending on the country's tradition (parliamentarians, deputies, senators, or congressmen), develop their work in the chamber.

The representatives are usually organized into political parties and are elected by the citizens directly through open lists or through closed lists prepared by the management of each party, in what is known as parliamentary elections.

The Executive Branch

The executive power is vested in a government composed of a number of ministers, each responsible for a specific area of government or ministry. This branch is headed by a chief of state, president, or prime minister, depending on the particular country.