Difference Between Monarchy and Democracy
Monarchy and democracy are two completely different forms of government as both are witnessed in a number of countries. Monarchy is one individual’s rule, in which a king or a queen calls all the shots and cannot be opposed by anyone. A monarch can either be hereditary or can also be chosen by the people. Democracy, on the other hand, is the most popular form of government in the modern era. In democracy, people choose their representatives through free and fair elections. The chosen representatives make laws for the betterment of the masses. Unlike a monarchy, a centralised organisation runs the affairs of the state and no individual enjoys absolute power.
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Monarchy
Constitutional monarchy and absolute monarchy are two basic forms of monarchy. In ancient times, absolute monarchy was extremely common in all parts of the world. Even today, absolute monarchy is witnessed in many countries like Brunei, Saudi Arabia, Swaziland, Qatar and Oman. An absolute monarch cannot be challenged in a state and can make or change any law. In this form of government, the king or the queen selects officers or governors to ensure the authority of the state.
However, as the absolute monarchs started to abuse their powers, a number of European states started to experiment with constitutional monarchy in the 16th and the 17th century. In constitutional monarchy, the ruler has limited powers. There is a prime minister, who is considered to be the chief executive of the state and law making is done through a representative parliament. In constitutional monarchy, the government has to follow the constitution, which is considered to be supreme. Some examples of constitutional monarchy in the current era are United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Sweden, Luxembourg and Jordan.
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Democracy
A government of the people, for the people and by the people is the most popular definition of democracy. Every single individual is considered to be equal in democracy and everyone’s vote counts as one. There are two major forms of democracy, one being the presidential form of government and the other is parliamentary democracy. In either form, it is the rule of the majority. If the majority is not satisfied with the performance of the government, it can change it through voting in elections. Freedom of expression is also crucial for true democracy, which is the reason why the media is considered to be an integral part of this social order.
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