Government & Politics

 In ancient times, tribal chiefs served as the ruler of society. In the middle ages, it was kings and emperors who held that honor. But our era is different; ruling over a million or a billion people is an entirely different ball game than a tribe of 100–200 people. So arose states. Majority of which are nation-states. Nation-states are large governments with a centralized power system, whose adherents share the same culture. States with a centralized power structure are needed to have policies that are coherent and implementable.

The history of political thought can be traced back to early antiquity, with works such as Plato’s ‘Republic’, Aristotle’s ‘Politics’, as well as the works of Confucius. Methods of politics include negotiating with others, making laws, making sure the laws are forced, warfare protection against enemies, etc. Politics is present in tribes, society, states, and even in companies. Political parties are supposed to be there to represent distinct ideas, but a vast majority of politicians have no interest in it; they are only there to gain social status.

A political structure is a system by which political methods are exercised within society. There are a few noteworthy forms of government. Such as monarchy, oligarchy, theocracy, and democracy. All have their own way of achieving peace and prosperity. Let’s talk about their supposed goal and the reality one by one.

 

Monarchy

Monarchy has been around with us since the first civilizations. It arose because of people’s need for a central power structure that can quickly make decisions on matters of grave consequences. This suited the early civilizations because they were incapable of maintaining a more complex form of government with their limited resources.

The monarchy was efficient in what it sought to do. But what it wanted to do might have not been the best for the population. The monarchy could be cruel. Monarchs rarely have the best intentions of their subjects in mind. Rather, they are allowed to run the government on their whim. Nevertheless, this simple form of government has its perks. A good king could do more for his people without the need to go through and appease dissenting voices. By exercising his supreme power, an absolute monarch could impose necessary laws befitting any novel situation.

 

Oligarchy

Oligarchy de facto acts the same as monarchy, except it has several important people at its head than one person. Usually, in an oligarchy, prominent families compete for the privilege of ruling the masses. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has been a fitting example of an oligarchy. If in an oligarchical society power consolidates in the hand of experts, it can redeem itself from its failings. But that is rarely the case. The economy in an oligarchical system tends to take a hit. Oligarchy provides no unique advantages as a political system. In fact, it is worse than monarchy in that it fails to retain some of the positive points of the monarchy.

 

Theocracy

In a theocracy, the power comes not from military might,—although that might happen—it comes from the devotion of the people. The theocrats take advantage of the populace's spiritual misguidance to rise to power. This form of government enjoys the added benefit of unconditional loyalty from its population. Although this is usually the most inefficient form of government, as the theocrats spend their resources on spiritual pursuits, deriving people of any actual prosperity.

The theocratic state will take any measure necessary to make sure that its ideology stays relevant. As theocratic states take much more interest in their member’s social and family life, things can get brutal in this kind of state. Unlike other forced governments, if theocracy doesn’t represent the majority of its people’s religious beliefs, its days are numbered. So theocratic states stoke extremism among their citizens to keep them turned away from genuine problems.

 

Democracy

Democracy is the most sought-after form of government nowadays. Democracy is a system where the majority rules, so it tends to be more stable than the others. This stabilization helps the government in improving its economy and society bit by bit. Though it is mostly stagnant as changing any policy would take majority support and a lot of negotiation. The amount of feedback and engagement required to move forward with a decision slows down processes in democracy. The high economic growth achieved by China—a non-democratic nation, as compared to India—a democratic country, is a common example sometimes cited to substantiate this argument. And if an ignorant populace decides to go against their self-interest,—which humans are known for doing—there is no way to help them within the given system. This government is best for an already advanced and wealthy nation.

 

What are the alternatives?

Many people would like to believe human civilization has found the holy grail with democracy, just like the people of feudalism. But it is merely the best form of government for the time being. Humanity must look beyond democracy in the years to come. Technology will change our society drastically in unimaginable ways. We might do well to look at some form of mixed government or invent entirely new ones. In the meantime, let’s discuss improving our ‘precious’ democracy for the time being.

One of the problems with democracy I mentioned was an ignorant populace. The populace must be educated impartially about their government and society. While those of us who hold power might sneer at that idea, it is in the best interest of humanity to leave a stable democracy to the next generation. A well-educated populace can prevent themselves from making decisions that could threaten the very existence of said civilization.

Almost all democracies all over the world have adopted a capitalist system. Though it is not inherent to democracy, in the modern world capitalism is the king. Another solution is to consider an alternative economic system. As more and more jobs get automated, a more humanity-focused economy is getting necessary. Capitalism mixed with socialism can keep the free market and help people struggling to make ends meet in this cutthroat system. Different kinds of wealth tax, inheritance tax would get the money moving and stop us from getting to a ‘corporation dominated world.’ Subsidizing small businesses with that tax money will bring in the competitive nature that capitalism is known for.