A democracy is a nation in which the citizens elect their government officials. While the United States was a pioneering nation, in terms of establishing a democratic government, this country’s electoral system is only one of the forms that a democratic nation has taken. With a major election happening as this issue is published, it is worth taking a look at how we elect our leaders, and how our system compares to others around the world.
In this year’s elections, our next President will be directly elected – well, almost directly. In each state, an election is held in which its citizens vote for a group of electors. Once each of these statewide elections concludes, these electors participate in another presidential election, where they vote for the candidate they have pledged to vote for, and the winner of this election is the one who assumes the presidency. In other presidential republics such as ours – democracies in which the leader of government is elected by the citizens – the president is chosen based on which candidate receives the most votes nationwide. Presidential republics are common in all parts of the world, and include countries like Brazil and Nigeria, along with the U.S.
Many democracies do not directly elect their heads of state. In these nations, the leader is instead elected by a legislative body made up of representatives who are elected by the citizens. This is known as a “parliamentary system,” and the leader is most often known as the “Prime Minister.” The Prime Minister of a parliament effectively wields a combination of the powers that, in the U.S., are held separately by the President and leaders of Congress; prime ministers are generally more powerful than presidents. Countries with parliamentary systems include Canada and India.
Some nations, such as Ireland, elect both a President and Prime Minister. However, these positions are not equal in power: the prime minister wields influence over the laws of the nation, while the president is more limited than ours. In some cases, the President is also chosen by the legislature and has very little power. In some other parliamentary democracies, such as the United Kingdom, a head of state is determined by their heritage as part of a historic royal family. This system is called a “constitutional monarchy,” and unlike a traditional monarchy, the monarch has no power and acts as a ceremonial figure.
Democracy takes many forms around the world and remains an important player in global politics. According to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, by the end of 2024, the world will have seen over 80% of countries represented in the United Nations holding national-level elections. Despite the many forms democracy may come in, it is a useful tool to ensure the people of a nation get represented fairly.
