Democratic political regimes are political management systems that are formed after the outcome of parliamentary and / or presidential elections in democratic states. Such regimes are a reflection of the party system and constitute the institutional consolidation of the political will of the people - the so-called popular sovereignty. The link with the party system is carried out through the constitutional procedures for forming a government, parliamentary majority and minority, as well as the system of control over power by the opposition. In the event that there is only one political force in the elections, a monoparty government is created, in the absence of a clear winner - a coalition. Moreover, the government formed by the majority is accountable to parliament.
Signs of a Democratic Political Regime
Democracy at its core is the rule of institutions. Therefore, elections are just an electoral designation of current public sentiment. Not a single person, even with significant charisma, can personify the work of such institutions. For this, protective mechanisms are introduced - a system of balances that restrains the influence of the human factor or the organization factor.
The main features of a democratic political regime:
- The people are the source and constructor of political power. The sovereignty of the people is a mechanism for ensuring legitimacy, that is, recognition of the results of voting in elections as fair and in accordance with the law. In addition, the political system institutionalizes the practice of popular control of power, mainly through a system of referenda, party “primaries” and the work of deputies in their constituencies. It is by the results of the “primaries” that one can judge the degree of radicalization / liberalization of public opinion. It is noteworthy that democratic political regimes imply the institutionalization of the work of public organizations and the media, which are included in the party and political life of the country, and therefore have the right to evaluate (including from an expert point of view) the work of the deputies and institutions.
- Personal integrity. This means that its interests are recognized as more significant than the interests of the state, the ruling group, parties and individual organizations. Thus, democratic political regimes are called upon to instructively, through specific legal mechanisms, protect the rights and freedoms of citizens.
- Introduction of the principle of competition. It permeates the entire structure of power and public administration, from the introduction of the institution of freedom of speech to pluralistic elections at all levels.
In other words, all democratic political regimes have one peculiarity: institutional depersonalized power with an orientation toward protecting the social, economic, cultural and other interests of citizens, as well as other persons living in the territory of this state.
