Democracy is a popular form of government. It is successfully practiced in many countries of the world. In this form of government, the people elect their own rulers. In a democratic country, there are many political parties. They participate in the elections. The party that wins by a majority of votes is declared the winner. He is called to form a government. The rest of the parties are supposed to sit on the opposition benches. Important issues are debated and discussed in the assembly by both the ruling party and the opposition party. The decision on the different problems of the country is made after much deliberation.
Dictatorship is a system of government in which one party or one person rules the country. All power remains with that party or the ruler. The party comes to power after the elections. However, unlike democracy, there is no opposition party. All votes are cast in favor of one party. In a dictatorship no one can oppose the ruler. There are many restrictions on people’s freedom. An individual does not enjoy any kind of freedom. Radio, television, newspapers and other mass media hide facts. Their main business is admiring and praising the ruling party. In a dictatorship an individual does not enjoy any respect. This form of government is popular in communist countries like Russia, China, and East Germany.
In a democracy there is full freedom of expression of public opinion. An individual enjoys full freedom to think, write and express her views. The press is totally free. Government policies are freely debated and discussed in the newspapers and in the assembly hall. In a democracy, a person enjoys respect and importance.
Democracy is linked to justice. Everyone has the same rights in the eyes of the law. Voters can shock and remove their rulers at will. This form of government is popular and successful in the United States, Great Britain, India, and Japan. Democracy has failed in underdeveloped countries. It has not worked successfully in many of the Asian countries. The reasons for its failure are as follows.
Democracy is a difficult system of government. Only educated and sensitive people can understand and execute it. In our country and many other Asian countries, most people are uneducated and backward. They cannot understand the true spirit and structure of a democratic system of government. Most of the people in our country are poor. At the time of the election, voters are bribed and enticed to cast their vote for irresponsible and uneducated candidates. Thus, in a democracy, responsible and educated candidates do not return to the Assembly.
In a democratic form of government, candidates use unfair tactics to win elections. Rival party candidates are kidnapped, ballot boxes are smashed, and undue pressure is put on officials conducting the election. In this way, elections open the door to corruption, bribery and selfishness.
Democracy has many merits but it also has many demerits. It is known for its inefficiency and slowness. At the time of national emergencies, it fails to cope with the situation. In the assembly, national issues of great importance are debated and debated. It takes a long time to come to any decision. In this way, many very important problems remain unsolved in light of the above discussion. We can say that democracy, despite its flaws, remains a form of popular government. It is better than the dictatorship.