Democracy: is a Political Form, or is it a Substantial, Original, Constitutive Principle of any Lawful Political State?

Abstract

The theory of forms of state or government has always been a central issue of political philosophy. These forms (monarchy, aristocracy and democracy) were considered as components in the theory of «mixed forms of government» by Polybius, and it was continued during the Middle Ages and the beginning of Modern Age.

Machiavel considered only two forms of government: monarchy and republic. These two forms have evolved in the theory and political praxis in the sense that monarchy was succesively absolute, limited and constitutional; and republic was presidentialist and democratic, by the other side.

In the 20^th century there was no more interest in the division of monarchy and republic, being substituted these both by political regimes: liberal state, social law state and totalitarian state. Kelsen has finally made a more linear and formal division, based upon the prevalence of their constitutive principles, going from autocracy to democracy.

The conclusion is that any lawful and well constituted state implies the combination of three essential political principles (monarchy, aristocracy and democracy), that are necessary for the subsistence of the state; this is a postulate of the so called «theory of mixed government».

KEY WORDS: Forms of government or state, monarchy, democracy, aristocracy, republic, liberal state, social law state, totalitarian state.