Monarchy vs Democracy Essay

Government’s history may not exactly be known but it is safe to say that government is as old as human society itself. At some point in the past ‘â€Å" as the population grew in a particular area, there was pressure to have a system of laws that the society members had to follow since chaos would reign in a society if there is no governing body to set guidelines to its constituents. Public order and maintenance of security is vital to every society. Larger populations would demand more complex set of rules and as society grows, governments also evolve. In different regions and in certain points of time, different types of government flourished. It should also be mentioned that government is constantly changing as history had shown. Monarchy is a form of government which was very common during ancient and medieval times. Supreme power is bestowed on an individual and it can be absolute or nominal. The ‘head of state’ of a land with this kind of government often holds the title for life or until abdication. The leader, who is called a monarch, is wholly set apart from all other members of the state. The monarch typically makes all the law and decisions (legislative, judicial, and executive). The above is in definite contrast to Democracy. Democracy is a type of government carried out by the nation’s people either, directly or indirectly. A rare subtype is ‘Direct Democracy’ but only feasible to a small area and with a small population. The common way of practicing this type of government is by giving the power to govern to elected representatives. Democracy is based on a principle of equality and freedom. Equality defined in terms where all citizens are all equal before the law. Basically, positions and statuses do not matter; when one breaks the law, he or she is subject to sanctions. Monarchy is different in a way that higher officials – especially the monarch ‘â€Å" are often not restricted by the law since they make the law themselves without further deliberation. All citizens of a democratic nation are promised certain legitimized freedoms and liberties, which are generally protected by a constitution. Monarchy may also give this privilege but it all depends on the preferences and inclinations of the monarch. However, monarchy of the new times is not defined in terms of unlimited political power anymore as it has evolved to a more citizen-friendly government. Now there are constitutional monarchies and this somehow blurred the lines between the principles of democracy and the defining roots of monarchy. The common characteristic of monarchy is that rule is passed on through the next of kin ‘â€Å" ‘Hereditary Rule’. This is in complete contempt to the principles of democracy where people’s choice is the governing code. Summary: 1. Monarchy is a form of government where a state is headed by a monarch while democracy is a government headed by elected representatives. 2. Power and position is passed through heritage and bloodline in Monarchy while democracy principally supports elections (people’s choice). 3. In monarchy, supreme power is given to an individual while in Democracy, the power to govern is directly or indirectly carried out by the people. 4. In Democracy, all is equal before the law while in Monarchy, the monarch is the law.