DICTATORSHIP v ersus DEMOCRACY

INTRODUCTION:
In order to understand the relationship of either dictatorship or democracy with
development, firstly we need to understand the meaning of these terms.
Democracy:
Democracy is a political government either carried out by the people (i.e. direct
democracy), or the power to govern is granted to elected representatives (i.e. republicanism).
There are two principles that any definition of democracy includes; equality and freedom.
These principles are reflected by all citiens being equal before the law, and having equal access
to power. ! third common principle, though less measurable, is that all citiens are promised
certain legitimied freedoms and liberties, which are generally protected by a constitution.
The "rule of the ma#ority" is often described as a characteristic feature of democracy, but
without responsible government or constitutional protections of individual freedom from
democratic power, it is possible for disagreeing individuals to be oppressed by the "tyranny of
the ma#ority". !n essential process in representative democracies is competitive elections, which
are fair both genuinely and procedurally. $urthermore, freedom of political e%pression, freedom
of speech and freedom of the press are essential so that citiens are informed and able to vote in
their personal interests.
&opular sovereignty is common, but not a universal motivating sub#ect for establishing a
democracy.
Dictatorshi:
Dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is
ruled by an individual, the dictator, without hereditary ascension. It has three possible meanings'
(. ! dictator can be li)e a *oman dictator who held the political office of the *oman
*epublic. *oman dictators were allocated absolute power during times of emergency.
Their power was originally neither arbitrary nor unaccountable, being sub#ect to law and
requiring retrospective #ustification.
+. ! government controlled by one person or a small group of people i.e. a form of
government in which all power rests in a single individual or the system of one,man rule,
as the rule of -itler in pre,war .ermany, and that of /ussolini in pre,war Italy. In case
of &a)istan it was people li)e .eneral (*td.) &ervai /ushraf and 0ia,ul,-aq etc.
1. In present times, dictatorship refers to an autocratic form of absolute rule by leadership
unrestricted by law, constitutions, or other social and political factors within the state. !n
autocracy is a form of government in which the political power is held by a self,
appointed ruler.
Deve!ome"t:
Development theory is a consistent mass of theories about how desirable change in
society is best to be achieved. 2uch theories draw on a variety of social scientific disciplines and
approaches.
2ome important theories of development are,
1. Mo#er"i$atio" Theory: It is a theory of development which states that the
development can be achieved through following the processes of development that were
used by the currentlydeveloped countries.
2. Dee"#e"cy theory: It saw the world3s nations as divided into a core of wealthy
nations which dominate a periphery of poor nations whose main function in the system is
to provide cheap labour and raw materials to the core. It held that the benefits of this
system accrue almost entirely to the rich nations, which become progressively richer and
more developed, while the poor nations, which continually have their surplusses drained
away to the core, do not advance.
3. %or!# systems theory: In response to some of the criticisms of Dependency Theory
came 4orld 2ystems Theory, in which the division of periphery and center was further
divided into a tri,modal system consisting of the core, semi,periphery and periphery. In
this system, the semi,periphery lies between the core and periphery and is e%ploited by
the core and e%ploits the periphery.
4. State Theory: It is based upon the view that the economy is intertwined with politics
and therefore the ta)e,off period in development is unique to each country. It emphasied
the effects of class relations and the strength and autonomy of the state on historical
outcomes.
5. U"eve" a"# com&i"e# #eve!ome"t' It is a /ar%ist concept to describe the overall
dynamics of human history. This theory says that countries had their own specific
national history with national peculiarities. 5ut at the same time, all the different
countries did not e%ist in complete isolation from each other; they were also
interdependent parts of a world society, a larger totality, in which they all co,e%isted
together, in which they shared many characteristics, and in which they influenced each
other through processes of cultural diffusion, trade, political relations and various 6spill,
over effects7 from one country to another.
RO'E O( DICTATORSHIP IN DE)E'OPMENT:
Dictatorship does not necessarily result in development, defined by human well,being
(which incorporates education, health, income, and safety from internal and e%ternal threats) and
even by personal discipline. $urthermore, there is no conclusive evidence proving that either
dictatorship or democracy cause development. 8onetheless, we will prove dictatorships
incorporate more control over the variables that define development, so in consequence are a
better course to get to it. !lso, these dictatorships guarantee the 2ocial 9rder, which is a
necessary prerequisite for any )ind of economic accumulation process to be feasible. ! form of
government in which absolute power is concentrated in a dictator or a small e%clusive group of
people, dictatorships are sub#ect to response actions.
A#va"ta*es o+ Dictatorshi:
Dictatorships bring about development though efficient and straight forward decision
ma)ing.
Dictatorship is a good breeding ground for personal discipline and order .
Dictatorships better control the variables of human development
Dictatorships resist to income *edistribution &ressures
Dictatorship is a more economic institution' elections are a lu%ury reserved for developed
countries.
Dictatorships regimes can be a path for countries move on from civil wars and focus on
development.
Dictatorships have fle%ibility in economic policy that leads to growth .
Dictatorship helps achieve social stability .
The loger lasting and biggest economic miracles have occurred under dictatorships
Dictatorship outperforms democracy in growth and economic development
! dictatorship breeds order and is a needed step for both development and liberal
democracy.
Dictators have incentives to promote development and diminish social differences .
Dictatorships resist to income *edistribution &ressures.
The longer lasting and biggest economic miracles have occurred under dictatorships
Dictatorship outperforms democracy in growth and economic development
E,!a"atio":
-aving said that dictators bring about development though efficient and straight forward
decision ma)ing, we also have to consider the fact that they actually did not always get optimal
results, and this failure or success comes from their decisions.
It indicates that there is nothing superior with the decision ma)ing by the dictator. There
are advantages on control, and the ease of ma)ing decision (because no one controls them).
These are advantages on decision ma)ing process, but there are certain drawbac)s too.
The wea)ness due to the lac) of chec)s and balances in the dictatorial government,
enables the dictator to control anything, e%cept the result. $or the last argument, the evidence
show how the civil war was ended by dictatorship, but no evidence directs it to a better
development. 2o, these arguments may be true, but to lin) it bac) as supporting arguments of the
motions is clearly wrong.
:ven &a)istan returned to dictatorship in (;;; after (+ years of democracy and since the
time of its establishment has been facing both dictatorship i.e. marshall law and democracy i.e.
the elected government. In it<s case, development has been done in the time of democratic rulers
e.g. 0ulfiqar !li 5hutto etc. and also in the time of a dictator e.g. .eneral (*td.) &ervai
/usharraf.
If a sparrow always appears in the funerals, can we conclude that the sparrow is the grim
reaper= 2ome people claimed that its< the dictators who can settle pro,investment legal and
institutional framewor) (e.g. >ow ta%es, subsidies, ensuring economical liberties), the only one
who can resist from redistribution pressure, performs good economy policy, and by giving ?hina
and India as e%ample, claiming dictatorship outperforms democracy (which was a wrong
e%ample, since it was all about economic policy).
$or them, those are a natural characteristic of a dictatorship, for us it is #ust a random
coincidence. If all good things that was claimed is really a natural character of a dictatorship,
then we should not have witnessed the hyperinflation in 0imbabwe or the irregularities in
5urma.
4e are not going to play the same game as them, by concluding dictatorship #ust from the
e%amples of 0imbabwe and 5urma. 4e see all the e%amples as a whole, and by doing so we
believe those cases #ust brings to us one fact, that dictator can do anything, and can decide
anything. The result is varied from the economic miracle, to monstrous hyperinflation.
2ome people say that dictatorship is a @more economic< institution i.e. elections are a
lu%ury reserved for developed countries. 5ut there is no evidence that suggests that a cheaper
government will do better development.
The last aspect of the dictators is that they have bigger control. This control allows them
to promote development and diminish social differences. 5ut it should be noticed, that
democratic country can do the same thing. /oreover, from the motives it is done, social benefits
in democracy is inbuilt in the power mechanisms of 6one man A one vote7 and form inevitable
nature of society. 9n the other hand, dictatorship3s incentives are merely formed according to an
arbitrary #udgment, prudence and free will of dictator.
!t last, social stability that is proposed by dictatorship has a serious threat. The problem
that is proposed was not fundamental, because it happened under bad management in /e%ico,
not because of the flaws on the system itself. ?ontrary to /e%ico, Bugoslavia dictatorship
stability was sha)en, even though it is in a good management. 4hen Cosip 5ro Tito died, the
country3s history ended. It is showed that while the democracy3s succession failure was a case,
based failure, dictatorship3s failure is a systemic failure.
Disa#va"ta*es O+ Dictatorshis:
9pposition defines ambiguity .
9pposition baffled yet undeterred .
Dictator<s decisions undermines the people and are unaccountable
Development is not possible when there is no succession in the government .
Dictatorship priority is to maintain power .
Dictatorship brings profit to dictators and its small e%clusive group of people, but not to
the citiens.
Dictatorship is a threat to diversity and multi ethnicity .
Dictatorship transforms national policies into irregularities .
.ood development should ensure freedom .
Development occurs when a dictatorship reverts into democracy .
E,am!e o+ Dictarorshi:
-. /erma"y 0Na$i1:
8ai .ermany and the Third *eich are the common :nglish names for .ermany between
(;11 and (;DE, while it was led by !dolf -itler and the 8ational 2ocialist .erman 4or)er3s
&arty (82D!&).
.ermany conquered and occupied most of :urope and 8orthern !frica during the 2econd
4orld 4ar. /illions of Cews and other minorities were persecuted and murdered, particularly
during the +
nd
4orld 4ar.
8ai .ermany was made up of various competing power structures, all trying to gain favor
with the $Fhrer, !dolf -itler. Thus many e%isting laws were stric)en and replaced with
interpretations of what -itler wanted. !ny high partyGgovernment official could ta)e one of
-itler3s comments and turn it into a new law, of which -itler would casually either approve or
disapprove. This became )nown as "wor)ing towards the $Fhrer", as the government was not a
coordinated, co,operating body, but a collection of individuals each trying to gain more power
and influence through the $Fhrer. This often made government very convoluted and divided,
especially with -itler3s vague policy of creating similar posts with overlapping powers and
authority. The process allowed the more unscrupulous and ambitious 8ais to get away with
implementing the more radical and e%treme elements of -itler3s ideology, such as anti,2emitism,
and in doing so win political favor. &rotected by .oebbels3 e%tremely effective propaganda
machine, which portrayed the government as a dedicated, dutiful and efficient outfit, the dog,eat,
dog competition and chaotic legislation was allowed to escalate. -istorical opinion is divided
between "intentionalists", who believe that -itler created this system as the only means of
ensuring both the total loyalty and dedication of his supporters and the impossibility of a
conspiracy; and "structuralists", who believe that the system evolved by itself and was a
limitation on -itler3s supposedly totalitarian power.
RO'E O( DEMOCRACY IN DE)E'OPMENT:
Democracy is the political orientation of those who favor government by the people or by
their elected representatives. It is opposite to the concept of dictatorship.
A#va"ta*es O+ Democracy:
Democracy ca" rovi#e +or cha"*es i" *over"me"t 2ithout vio!e"ce. In a democracy,
power can be transferred from one party to another by means of elections. The #urisdiction of the
citiens of a nation determines its ruling authority.
/oreover, any government is bound by an election term after which it has to compete
against other parties to regain authority. This system reve"ts mo"oo!y o+ the ru!i"*
authority. The ruling party has to ma)e sure it wor)s for its people for it cannot remain being
the authority after completing its term unless re,elected by the people.
This &ri"*s i" a +ee!i"* o+ o&!i*atio" to2ar#s the citi$e"s. The ruling authorities owe
their success in the elections to the citiens of the nation. This results in a feeling of gratefulness
towards the people. It can serve as their motivation to wor) for the people for it is the common
masses that have complete power over choosing their government.
!nother important advantage of democracy is that the eo!e *ai" a se"se o+ articiatio" in
the process of choosing their government. They get the opportunity to voice their opinions by
means of electoral votes. This gives rise to a feeling of belongingness in the minds of the people
towards their society.
Disa#va"ta*es o+ Democracy:
In a democratic nation, it is the citiens who hold the right to elect their representatives
and their governing authorities. !ccording to a common observation, not all the citiens are fully
aware of the political scenario in their country. The commo" masses may "ot &e a2are o+ the
o!itica! issues i" society. This may result in people ma)ing the wrong choices during election.
!s the government is sub#ect to change after every election term, the authorities may
2or3 2ith a short4term +ocus. !s they have to face an election after the completion of each
term, they may lose focus on wor)ing for the people and rather focus on winning elections.
!nother disadvantage of democracy is that mo&s ca" i"+!ue"ce eo!e. ?itiens may
vote in favor of a party under the influence of the ma#ority. ?ompelled or influenced by the
philosophies of those around, a person may not voice hisGher true opinion.
:very form of government is bound to have some shortfalls. Different people have
different views about the various political systems. The advantages and disadvantages of any
political system have to be weighed carefully in order to arrive at any conclusion.
-. AUSTRIA
!ustria is one of the (+ richest countries in the world in terms of .D& (.ross domestic
product) per capita, has a well,developed social mar)et economy, and a high standard of living.
Hntil the (;IJs, many of !ustria3s largest industry firms were nationalised; in recent years,
however, privatisation has reduced state holdings to a level comparable to other :uropean
economies. >abour movements are particularly strong in !ustria and have large influence on
labour politics. 8e%t to a highly,developed industry, international tourism is the most important
part of the national economy. !ustria<s -DI is J.;EE according to survey in +JJ;.
5. 6APAN
Capan is a ma#or economic power and has the world3s second,largest economy by nominal
.D& and the third largest in purchasing power parity. It is also the world3s fourth largest e%porter
and si%th largest importer. It is also the only !sian country in the .I and is currently serving as
an elected member of the H8 2ecurity ?ouncil. !lthough Capan has officially renounced its right
to declare war, it maintains a modern and e%tensive military force which is employed in self,
defense and peace)eeping roles. It is a developed country with very high living standards ((Jth
highest -DI). Capan has the highest life e%pectancy of any country in the world (according to
both the H8 and 4-9 estimates) and the third lowest infant mortality rate.
Capan is the second largest economy in the world, after the Hnited 2tates, at around H2KE trillion
in terms of nominal .D& and third after the Hnited 2tates and ?hina in terms of purchasing
power parity. 5an)ing, insurance, real estate, retailing, transportation, telecommunications and
construction are all ma#or industries. Capan has a large industrial capacity and is home to some of
the largest, leading and most technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, electronic
equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, te%tiles and processed
foods. The service sector accounts for three quarters of the gross domestic product.
Capan3s e%ports amounted to D,+(J H.2. dollars per capita in +JJE. Capan3s main e%port mar)ets
are the Hnited 2tates ++.IL, the :uropean Hnion (D.EL, ?hina (D.1L, 2outh Morea N.IL,
Taiwan O.IL and -ong Mong E.OL (for +JJO). Capan3s main e%ports are transportation
equipment, motor vehicles, electronics, electrical machinery and chemicals. Capan3s main import
mar)ets are ?hina +J.EL, H.2. (+.JL, the :uropean Hnion (J.1L, 2audi !rabia O.DL, H!:
E.EL, !ustralia D.IL, 2outh Morea D.NL and Indonesia D.+L (for +JJO). Capan3s main imports
are machinery and equipment, fossil fuels, foodstuffs (in particular beef), chemicals, te%tiles and
raw materials for its industries. Capan<s -DI is J.;OJ in +JJ;.
Conclusion write by urself.