American vs Indian Democracy: Difference and Comparison

Democracy is nothing but where people get their rights, especially the normal citizens who will have the right to vote for their country. Almost all countries follow their own democracy and have their own principles for them. American democracy is different from Indian democracy in terms of its parties and the way the people rule the country.

Key Takeaways

  1. American democracy follows a presidential system, while Indian democracy uses a parliamentary system.
  2. India has a multi-party system with numerous regional and national parties, while the United States primarily operates as a two-party system.
  3. Both democracies are committed to federalism, separating powers between the central government and states.

American vs Indian Democracy

The difference between American and Indian Democracy is that in American democracy, the president will be their executive. But in Indian democracy, the prime minister will be their executive. The parties that are allowed to nominate in American Democracy are 2. But the parties that can contest in elections can be many in Indian Democracy. 

American vs Indian Democracy

American Democracy has two main core values. It includes liberty and equality. These two words will represent their basic values which are involved in the democratic political systems. This is included in the United States of America. Apart from the five basic principles in their democracy, they also involve two more principles which are individual rights and republicanism.

Indian democracy follows five principles. It includes sovereign, secular, republic, socialist, and democratic. Even though democracy is not the only solution for the best governance in the world, we have no other choice but to accept it. India became democratic after gaining its independence in 1947. The democracy of India is derived from our constitution of India. 

Comparison Table

Parameters of ComparisonAmerican DemocracyIndian Democracy
ExecutiveThe President is the executiveThe prime minister is the executive
LegislatureIt will be controlled by the congressIt will be controlled by the prime minister
Party systemThey have only two parties to nominate themThey have several parties to nominate them
GovernmentThey follow presidential formThey follow parliamentary form
FederationTrue federationQuasi federation
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What is American Democracy?

It is a representative democracy. The government will be elected based on the citizen’s choice. So, the citizens will vote to choose their government officials. Americans can participate in democracy in two ways. They can vote for their contestant and also contact the elected officials. American democracy follows these two ways in electing their government official. Their main idea and motive are to follow political equality and equality of conditions.

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Here the majority of the decisions will be made by the people. This provides a strong foundation for democracy. American democracy follows five principles. They follow popular sovereignty, power separation, federalism, limited government, and checks and balances. During the evolution of American democracy, they worked out two large processes. This democratic idea evolved from Roman and Teutonic ideas.

Their concept is slightly original. This is also considered another chapter in the history’s adjustment area. They follow liberal democracy. American democracy is evidently in a rudimentary stage. They mainly focus on equality and freedom, making people choose their rights in their work. The main principle of democracy is to conduct a fair and protected election. This is very much followed in American democracy, where people are given equal rights. 

american democracy

What is Indian Democracy?

In Indian democracy, the president is the head of the state. The word democracy means ruling the people. In India, citizens can vote for their contestants every 5 years. Once the person gets selected, they will serve the country for 5 years. To select this person, citizens will cast their votes. We have two types of elections held in India. One is selecting the chief minister for a particular state. For this, many people will contest the election. 

And the next type is selecting the prime minister for the entire country. For this, the selected candidate will also rule the entire country for 5 years. They can contest their votes for the person of their choice. In Indian democracy, elections will be held, and people are given their choice to select the party that they want. In India, many people will contest for the election. It will contain a detailed understanding of the citizens’ rights and also provides a view of the proper functioning of the democratic government.

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Democracy in India provides citizens to vote irrespective of their caste, who they are, their religion, and gender. Various parties in India will stand for election. They will tell the people what all the tasks they will do after getting selected are. This will help the people choose the right party for their state and country. 

indian democracy

Main Differences Between American and Indian Democracy

  1. The principle involved in American Democracy is 7. On the other hand, the principle involved in Indian Democracy is 5.
  2. The executive of the American Democracy is President. On the other hand, the executive of Indian Democracy is Prime Minister.
  3. Congress will control the legislature in American Democracy. On the other hand, the legislature in the Indian Democracy is controlled by the Prime Minister.
  4. In American Democracy, they only have two parties to nominate. On the other hand, in Indian Democracy, they will have several parties to nominate.
  5. The form that is followed in American Democracy is presidential. On the other hand, the form that is followed in Indian Democracy is parliamentary.
  6. The federation involved in American Democracy is a true federation. On the other hand, Indian Democracy is a quasi-federation. 
Difference Between American and Indian Democracy
References
  1. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/puzzle-of-indian-democracy-a-consociational-interpretation/282CAD11CE716873F5EFD96886BEF5D7
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Emma Smith
Emma Smith

Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.

18 Comments

  1. The comparison of the principles and functioning of democracy in the US and India gives perspective to reflect on the political system in each country.

  2. The foundations and principles of democracy in the US is a topic with much to explore, especially in historical and cultural terms.

  3. The comparison of the 2 systems reflects the historical and cultural differences, it would be relevant to investigate the influence of these aspects in democracy.

    • The historical and cultural influence on democracy in the US and India would be an important area of study for a comprehensive understanding of these systems.

    • Investigating how history and cultural aspects have shaped democracy can provide valuable insights into the functioning of these political systems.

  4. The dialogue about democracy between the USA and India is interesting, especially if we consider that both countries exercise it and have a different way to make the principles work.

    • I would like to know about the citizens’ participation, how India and the USA manage it and what difference there is, it would be interesting to investigate the opinion of citizens about democracy.

  5. It would be interesting to delve deeper into how the citizens are involved in the electoral process, especially in India since they have a higher number of parties.

    • The involvement of citizens in the electoral process and the way the candidates represent their interests would be an important aspect to investigate and compare.

    • The party system and citizen representation in India seems to be a complex issue, it could be beneficial to further investigate this topic.

  6. A very important topic, the democracy has differences for many countries, it would be great to compare it with other systems or under different situations.

    • I think the differences between the USA and India in terms of democracy is based on their own culture and way of life, it could be interesting also compare with other countries as well.

  7. The differences between the American and Indian Democracy systems are striking, especially in terms of the parties’ system.

    • The level of diversity in political parties in India could be a reflection of the diverse population and the challenges this represents in a democratic system.

    • The number of parties allowed in each democracy is related to the way each country has developed its political system and its principles.

  8. A study of democracy must consider that different countries have different approaches and should consider their particularities.

    • Considering the cultural aspects, the way of life and historical events is essential for the understanding of how democracy has been implemented in different regions.

    • The democratic systems of other countries must be compared and analyzed, the cultural and historical aspects define the way they are exercised.

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