Democratic political regime and the ways of democracy

Democracy is the most difficult type of political regime. The term "democracy" in Greek (demos – people, kratos – power, dominion) means "people power."

Democracy – is a form of the state, its political regime in which the people or the majority is (considered) a carrier state.

Democracy is associated with freedom, equality, justice, human rights, participation of citizens in governance. Therefore, democracy as a political regime decided to oppose authoritarian, totalitarian and other dictatorial regimes.

The most important features of democracy are:

- Legal recognition of the sovereign power of the people.

- Periodic major election authorities.

- Universal suffrage, which guarantees every citizen to participate in the formation of representative institutions.

- Equality of rights of citizens to participate in government, so that every citizen has the right not only to vote but also to be elected to any public office.

- A decision by a majority of the votes cast and the subjugation of minority majority.

- Control of the representative bodies of the executive activities

- Accountability of elected their constituents [12, p. 239].

The main ways (forms) of democracy.

Depending on how people exercise the right to rule there are three main ways of democracy.

Direct democracy – all people have the right to vote directly deciding and monitoring their implementation. This form of democracy is most characteristic of the early forms of democracy, such as tribal communities. Direct democracy existed in ancient times in Athens. Thus, the main government institutions are the national assembly who make decisions and often can arrange their immediate execution. This kind of democracy existed in ancient Rome, the medieval Novgorod, Florence and other cities-republics.

Plebiscitary democracy – the people making decisions only in certain cases, such as during a referendum on any issue.

Representative democracy – the people elect their representatives, and they manage on behalf of the government or some authority. Representative democracy is the most common form of democracy. Disadvantages of representative democracy are that the people's representatives, having authority, not always fulfill the will of those whom they represent.

Also there exists distinguish between these types of democratic regime as democratic-liberal, democratic-conservative and radical democratic. Proponents of the liberal regime too lenient, a radical – for drastic changes, conservative – the defenders of the old adversaries changes [4, c. 215].

Signs of mixed forms of political regime

There are also mixed forms of political regime.

Authoritarian and democratic regime (soft authoritarianism) is characterized primarily by a strong presidential government, where the president has the right to form the government, dissolve parliament, shift heads of local state administrations to eliminate the government system, have an advantage over the legislature in shaping the judiciary. However, this option saves all democratic institutions: parliament, the electoral and party system, opposition, local authorities, judicial protection of human rights. Such a regime existed in France at the time of de Gaulle, and exists in many Latin American countries and some CIS countries.

Anarchic-democratic (ohlokratychnyy) mode provides ample prerogatives of representative government and local governments over the executive, and the widespread use of direct democracy. For anarchic-democratic regime is characterized by lack of power, lack of effective regulation of social relations, poor administration and distribution of confidence in political activities.

Oligarch clan regime based on dominance in the structures of political power powerful politico-business and media groups, which, having excess profits, control the political structure – fractions, parties, public organizations, as well as segments of the information space (TV, radio, newspapers, etc.). They have made their position is not in competition, where it was necessary to identify talent, but in terms of its monopoly in such sectors as trade in excise goods and natural resources, as well as state protectionism and non-monetary forms of payment (barter, offsets, bills) [5, p. 217].

Thus, depending on the degree of observance of rights and freedoms of man and citizen, the possibility of obtaining and exercising power political regimes are divided into democratic and anti-democratic, those where the power belongs to the people, and those where the government has control over social life.