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THELOGICDICTATES
DEMOCRACYvs.FEDERALISM
Published:October24,2016
Democracyandfederalismaretwotypesofgovernancewhereintheleadersofthe
governmenthavedifferentpowersandfunctions.Thesearetwodifferentformsof
government,differentstructures,differentwayofgoverningthepeople.Whatarethe
differencesbetweenthesetwoformsofgovernment?Whatarethedisadvantagesand
disadvantagesofthesetwoformsofgovernment?Whichisbetter?Whichismore
beneficialandmoreopentothepeople?Whichisthebestinupliftingthelivesofthe
peopleespeciallythosewhoareunknowntothesociety,tothosewhoareburdenofthe
country?Whichofthesetwogivesmoreopportunitytopeople,opportunitytogetthe
livesbetter,opportunitytohavejpbs,towork,opportunitytoparticipateinthe
government,andopportunitytorisefromthedarkangfithinesswayofliving?Thereare
lotsofquestionsthatneedsananswer.Questionsthatmayhelptomakeoursocietya

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betterplaceforliving.Thesewillalsohelpthepeopletodecidewhichisbetteroption
forthegovernmenttotakeinto.Whichiswhich?
Democracy.Democracyhasnodefinitemeaning,itisabroadtermandsometimesthe
definitionsareambigious.Itisconfusing.Butwejaveherethedifferentmeaningofthe
word.
OneofthefamousdefinitionthatIalwaysheardfrompeople,itisforthepeople,bythe
people,andofthepeople.Thesethreemainphrasesusuallyconstituestheword
"democracy."Accordingtothatdefinition,"forthepeople"meansthatdemocracyis
intendedforthepeopletobenefitsthem,itisnotintendedtomakethegovernment
officialswealthyandricherandricherbutthemainpurposeofdemocracyistouplift
thelivesofthepeople.Itisintendedtobenefitsthepeoplenotthecentralgovernment
northegovernmentofficials.Thenextphraseis"bythepeople",itmeansthat
democracyisauthoredbythepeoplenotthegovernment,thegovernmentshouldrun
inawaythatthepeoplewantittobe.Itshouldnotrunforitsownself,thepeople
shouldbetheonewhowilldecidewhatshouldbetheway.Thegovernmentofficials
shouldnotdecidebytheirownfreewillbutthewillofthepeopleshpuldbeheardand
befollowed.Thenthelastphrase"ofthepeople"meansthatdemocracyisofthewillof
thepeoplenotintheofficialsinthepositionbutthewillofthepeopleshouldstandout.
Italsomeansthatdemocracyisinfavortothepeoplegovernednottheleadersinthe
position.
Accordingtomyresearchandfindingsoftheoriginoftheword,whenwelookdownto
theoriginoftheword"democracy",itcamefromthecapitalcityofGreecewhichis
calledAthens.DemocracycomesfromtheGreekwords"demos"whichmeanspeople
and"kratia"meansrule.TheAthenianscoinedthewordwhichrefersto"self-ruleanda
pricetheychosetopaytoprotecttheirfreedomaswellasanexpressionofthat
freedominitself."
Lookingdowntothehistoryandoriginoftheword"democracy"andwhytheAthenians
usedthatword,accordingtoGrolierEncyclopediaofKnowledge,itsays,thefirst
democraticformsofgovernmentdevelopedwasinGreekcitystatesduringthe6th
centuryBC.InAthens,allcitizensparticipatedfullyingovernment;minors,women,
slaves,andforeigners,however,perhaps90percentofthepopulationwerenotcitizens.
Today,mostofthestateshavecalledthemselvesdemocratic.Manysuchgovernments,
however,ruleinthenameofthepeoplewithoutallowingpopularparticipation.
Itseemsthatthetruemeaningofdemocracyhaslongbeenforgottenbythepeople,or
madeunknownuntothem.Democracywasneverbeenfeltforthepastcentury.Itturns
out,itseemstobeawayforcommunistpeopletohidetheirownidentities.
Therefore,onemeaningoftheword"democracy"isthegivendefinitionabove,itisfor
thepeople,bythepeople,andofthepeople.Itisthetrueessenceoftheword
democracy,thetruenatureofdemocracy.

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Now,thesecondone,somesaysitreferstofreedom.Freedomalsoliesinademocratic
government.Thestateofbeingfreeisthemainfeatureofdemocracy.Thisisthething
thatmadeunknowntopeople.Itistheforntpageofdemocracythatiswhypeopleare
moreattractivetoitbecauseofthefreedomthatthegovernmentaregivingtothem,but
littledidthepeopleknowthatthisfreedomhasalsoitsownlimitations.
Iffreedomisthemostprominentthingthatdemocracyoffers,thentherewillbeno
tyrannyatallhappeninginthosecountrieswhichclaimedtobedemocratic.
Accordingtothequotationbelow,
"Nooneisfreewhenothersareoppressed."
-Anonymous
Rememberthatdemocracyisthestateofbeingfree,butwhatthepeopledidn'tknow
whatkindoffreedomisthatdemocracywastellingthemabout?Andwhatdoesthe
word"freedom"reallymeans?
AccordingtoMeriam-Webster'sLearner'sDictionary,itisdefinedas,
free·domˈ ə
noun
1:thequalityorstateofbeingfree:as
a:theabsenceofnecessity,coercion,orconstraintinchoiceoraction
b:liberationfromslaveryorrestraintorfromthepowerofanother:independence
c:thequalityorstateofbeingexemptorreleasedusuallyfromsomethingonerous
<freedomfromcare>
d:ease,facility<spokethelanguagewithfreedom>
e:thequalityofbeingfrank,open,oroutspoken<answeredwithfreedom>
f:improperfamiliarity
g:boldnessofconceptionorexecution
h:unrestricteduse<gavehimthefreedomoftheirhome>
2a:apoliticalright
b:franchise,privilege
Synonyms:autonomy,independence,independency,liberty,self-determination,self-
governance,self-government,sovereignty
Ifyouwouldstudythetruemeaningoftheword,ititsverylogicalsense,freedomtruly
referstodemocracy.Accordingtoitssynonymouswords,thewordsself-governance,
self-government,andsovereigntydirectlyreferstodemocracyandfreedom.These
wordsagreedwiththeoriginaldefinitioncamefromtheAthenians.
Butaccordingtothepreviousquotation,

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"Nooneisfreewhenothersareoppressed."
-Anonymous
Isdemocracyreallyfeltinmostcountrieswhichconsideredthemselvesasdemocratic?
Thetrueessenceofdemocracyisnopeopleareoppressed.Everyonehastherightto
enjoytheirfreedom---freefromoppressors.
Isthisreallyobserveinmostcountrieswhichcalledthemselvesdemocratic?
Thinkaboutit,however,thisalsoprovesthatdemocracyisthestateofbeingfree.
Theironyisthattheyclaimtobedemocraticbutmadelawsagainsttheirfreedom.
"Menfightforfreedom,thentheybegintoaccumulatelawstotakeitawayfrom
themselves."
-Anonymous
Thequotationiscorrectandevidentamongthesedemocraticcountries.Thisonly
meansthatbeingdemocraticisreallyaconfusing.Whenwereallyunderstandthe
word,itseemslikeitisnotevidentinanycountryintheworld.Democracywasnot
beenfelteveninthepastcenturies,wedonotreallyexperiencedrealdemocracyinthe
countryinthepastcenturies.Weonlyexperiencedalittleofit,justapartofit.Whatcn
yousayaboutit?
Theveryinterestingthinginstudyingthisisthat,mostofthecountriesclaimedtobe
democraticandonlyelevennationsexerciseafederalismtypeofgovernment.Whydid
these11nationschosetobeafederalistratherthanademocraticone?Thisquestion
triggersourmind.Whyisitthatthereareonlymoreorless11countrieschosetobea
federalistratherthanademocraticoutof190countriesallinall?TheseareGermany,
Mexico,Brazil,Argentina,Canada,Australia,India,theUnitedStates,Austria,Malaysia,
andSwitzerland.Theydonothavethesamefederalsystem.Mostnationsintheworld
todayhaveunitarysystems,whereinalmostallpowerresidesinthecentral
government.
Now,whatisfederalismformofgovernment?
Federalismisaformofgovernmentwhichhasasystemofsharedpowerbetweentwo
ormoregovernmentswithauthorityoverthesamepeopleandgeographicalarea.
Thereisadivisionofpowersbetweenthenationalgovernmentandtheregional
governments.
Afederalgovernmentdividesthecountryintofederalstates.Thesefederalstateshave
thepowertoactindependentlyonpoliciesofregionalconcern.Thisincludestaxation,
issuanceoflicenses,healthandeducationalprograms,economicdevelopmentplans,
infrastructureprograms,etc.Theycanimplementprogramsthatwillsurelybenefit

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them.Eachstatehasitsownimplementingrulesandregulations.Theycandecideon
theirown.Whilethenationalgovernment,foritspart,remainsresponsibleforsuch
mattersasnationaldefenseandforeignpolicy,amongothercountry-wideconcerns.
TheverybestexampleofafederalgovernmentistheUnitedStates.Federalismhas
existedeversincetheAmericangovernmenthadjustbeganandworkedforover200
yearsintheirsociety.Thereisacontinuousdevelopmentintheircountrythroughthis
federalismformofgovernance.
TheUnitedStatesiscomposedof50states.Eachstateissubdividedintocounties
(provincesforthePhilippines)andeachcountyisalsosubdividedintocities.Each
countyhasitsownpowerthesameasthecentralornationalgovernment.Theycan
implementlawsandprogramsthatisbestsuitableintheirregionorstate.Eachstate
hasitsowncongressandsupremecourtandinthenationalcongresstherewerethree
senatorsthatwillserveasrepresentativesforeachstateandithasalsoitsown
SupremeCourtthatissuperiortoallsupremecourtsofthe50statesofAmerica.Even
ifeachstatehasitsownlawsandpolicies,hasitsowncongressandsupremecourt,
but,duringconflictsituations,thenationalgovernment,thenationalcongressandthe
nationalsupremecourtaresuperiorfromallofthestates.
Observetheeconomicdevelopmentofthecountrieswhichhasafederalistformof
government,especiallytheUnitedStates,itgrowandstillgrowsasthedaypassed.
ThatiswhyUnitedStatesisoneoftherichestcountryintheworld.
Observethestateintermsoftheireconomytheothertencountrieswhichpractice
federalism.TheseareGermany,Mexico,Brazil,Argentina,Canada,Australia,India,the
UnitedStates,Austria,Malaysia,andSwitzerland.Theyaremorerichercountries
comparedtodemocraticcountries.
But,thereisnoperfectformofgovernmentinthisworld,ineveryformofgovernment,
evenhowgooditis,thereisstillaroomforimprovementbecausethereisalwaysa
loopholeineveryformofgovernment.
Since,thereisnoperfecttypeofgovernment,atleastweshouldchoosethebestformof
governmentwhichwillsuitinthecountry.
Comparingthetwoformsofgovernment,federalismanddemocracy,whichisabetter
formofgovernment?Basedfromthwgivendefinitions,whichisbetterandwillsuitin
thecountry?
Whatisyourbet?
Waitforournextblogtoknowmoreaboutfederalismandwhetherfederalismbestsuit
tothePhilippinesornot.

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References:
MerriamWebster'sDictionary
LivioEnglishDictionary
Grolier'sEncyclopediaofKnowledge
http://www.philstar.com/opinion/288961/democracy-and-federalism
http://classroom.synonym.com/definition-federalism-democracy-9289.html
https://www.ait.org.tw/infousa/zhtw/DOCS/Demopaper/dmpaper4.html
http://www.philstar.com/opinion/2016/08/04/1609913/federalism-and-democracy