TOTALITARIANISM VERSUS DEMOCRACY

Almost every person in the world has heard the term government which is the system by which a nation, state or community is ruled. There are many types of government, such as communism, oligarcy, theocracy, totalitarianism and democracy.  Totalitarianism and democracy have many differences and some similarities.

In the first place, totalitarianism is a political system where the state holds total authority over a society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life. For example, Nazi Germany was a totalitarian government. Unlike totalitarianism,democracy is the government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation  usually involving periodically held free elections. For example, USA has been ruled by democracy. Moreover, democracy institutionalizes the political ideas of equal rights and civil control. However, totalitarianism enshrines the idea that the power of the state must be total;  the will of the leader is law and supreme. Therefore, in totalitarianism one person has all the power and if someone says or does something that is not approved, he will punish them, so other people cannot disobey that person, argue or say something he does not like. Because of these reasons, people are not equal, do not have any rights and cannot be free or speak freely. On the other hand, In democracy, all citizens are equal, they can express any opinion to the government or disagreewith them because the power to govern comes from citizens.

On the other side of the coin, they have similarities too. Both forms of government have the potential to oppress the  people while a democracy typically does not follow this pattern. It is possible that a majority of people could empower a single party that would oppress the minority. Another similarity is the irrational voter can be a stepping stone towards a totalitarian type of democracy. Under certain conditions voters might select a candidate that would improve their lives at the cost of others.When given too much power, the party elected may abuse it and eventually come to control the entire state.

Ultimately, since we can talk, walk or do and say something freely, democracy provides us with security,cares about our thoughts, gives us power and makes everyone equal, itis  the best type of government for all people in the world.