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spoon-fed democracy

a "democratic" society that was implemented by colonial government and not gain from organic grassroots revolutionary movement of the proletariat
hong kong in the late era of colonization is an example of a spoon-fed democracy by the imperial british empire

People's Democracy

A term historically used by 20th-century communist states, particularly in Eastern Europe and Asia, to describe their political system. It signified a transitional stage between a bourgeois revolution and full socialism, often involving a multi-party "popular front" dominated by the communist party. In practice, "People's Democracy" was a euphemism for a single-party dictatorship where non-communist parties were either puppets or suppressed, and "the people" was a monolithic construct defined by the ruling party.
Example: The German Democratic Republic (East Germany) was a People's Democracy. Other parties existed in the National Front, but they were subservient to the Socialist Unity Party (SED). Elections were uncontested, and the state claimed this system represented the democratic will of "the people" more authentically than the "bourgeois" pluralism of West Germany.

Community-Based Democracy

An umbrella term for democratic models that root political legitimacy and decision-making processes in pre-existing or intentionally formed communities, defined by geography, ethnicity, workplace, or shared interest. The community, not the abstract individual citizen, is the primary political actor. This approach often emphasizes consensus-building and cultural traditions over majoritarian voting.
Example: Many Indigenous governance systems, such as the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy’s Grand Council, operate on principles of Community-Based Democracy. Representatives (sachems) from each clan and nation deliberate with a mandate from their community, aiming for consensus in a system deeply tied to cultural and spiritual practices.

Commune-Based Democracy

Essentially synonymous with Communal Democracy, emphasizing the commune as the foundational cell. The term often carries a stronger connotation of the commune being an integrated social and economic unit, not just a political one, practicing collective ownership and mutual aid internally.
Example: The theoretical vision of Murray Bookchin’s Communalism or Libertarian Municipalism advocates for a Commune-Based Democracy. Neighborhood assemblies would form the base, federating into confederations to manage regional affairs, replacing the state with a networked system of directly democratic, ecological communes.

Assembly-Based Democracy

A synonym for Assembly Democracy, stressing that the assembly is the basis of the entire political system. All other institutions (councils, magistrates, courts) are subordinate to and recallable by the sovereign assembly of the people.
Example: Ancient Athenian democracy was an Assembly-Based Democracy for its citizen body. The Ecclesia (assembly) of all male citizens met regularly to vote on laws, declare war, and elect officials. While not inclusive by modern standards, it placed the assembly at the absolute center of power.

People-Based Democracy

A rhetorical term emphasizing that ultimate sovereignty resides with "the people" as an undifferentiated whole, often used to contrast with "elite-based" or "property-based" systems. It can be a genuine call for populist empowerment or an empty slogan used by authoritarian regimes to claim legitimacy while suppressing actual popular will. Its meaning is entirely dependent on who gets to define "the people."
Example: Populist movements on both the left and right claim to champion People-Based Democracy against a "corrupt elite." However, in practice, this can lead to majoritarian tyranny, as seen when a leader, claiming a direct connection to "the real people," bypasses institutional checks and balances, arguing they are obstructing the people's will.