Strategies for Promoting Democracy in Iraq Term Paper

Strategies for Promoting Democracy in Iraq - Term Paper Example This is usually entrenched in the laws of the land. It involves social, cultural and economic conditions that provide free and fair practice of self-determination politically. It hails from a Greek word demokratia whose meaning is â€Å"rule of the people†. This word can be divided into two. Demos meaning â€Å"people† and Kratos meaning â€Å"power†. Democracy contrasts other forms of government like monarchy and aristocracy /oligarchy. Monarchy is where power is held by one individual while aristocracy is where power is held by a group of people. Contemporary governments tend to have a mixture of all these elements. There are several types of democracy (Lijphart 150-250). The two basic forms of democracy are a direct democracy and representative or indirect democracy. In direct democracies, citizens have direct participation in the decision-making process within the government. In indirect  democracies, citizens elect representatives (Lijphart 200-250). He ex plains that in modern democracies, the sovereign power is retained by the people while the political power is exercised through the representatives (200-250). He further explains that an electoral democracy government is determined by popular sovereignty (200-300). People in the country determine who will govern them. They do this by voting. Liberal democracy is one in which both sovereignty and liberties are manifested. The civil society is very active and restraints the government from misusing power. A substantive democracy is a working democracy. Under the representative democracy, we have a parliamentary, presidential and constitutional democracy. Parliamentary democracy is a democracy where the government is chosen by elected representatives (Lijphart 200-250). The government in this case is checked by the legislative parliament elected by people. The legislature can dismiss the prime minister under this system of government. This happens by passing a vote of no confidence. Th e presidential system of democracy is where the public elects the president through general elections (Lijphart 200-250).