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This information is to accompany Activity Three of the Unit Two Activity Guide.

Student Information Sheet: Decision Making in the Totalitarian State and in a Democracy

The Individual and the Society

One of the features that distinguishes a totalitarian society from a democratic society is how the society makes decisions which affect that society's population.

• In a totalitarian society, only those who hold political power, participate in national decision making. The general public has little or no input into national decisions.
• The leadership is not necessarily influenced or guided by public opinion and does not necessarily feel accountable to the public.

In the democratic state, national decision-making processes involve more people.

• The general public, either directly or through their elected representatives, has input into national decision making.
• The national leadership is also more immediately accountable to public opinion through the mechanism of elections.

Another feature that distinguishes totalitarian societies from democratic ones is the extent to which the government regulates the lives of its citizens.

• In totalitarian states, such as the Soviet Union during Stalin's reign, the Soviet citizen's life was severely regulated by the State. All forms of mass communication and entertainment were regulated by the state.
• The education system offered no opportunities to discuss and investigate positions not endorsed by the State.
• The presence of secret police and government informers made citizens reluctant to express individual thoughts and opinions.
• The legal system offered citizens no protection from arbitrary arrest and imprisonment.

In a democratic state, government and its institutions are legally limited in the degree to which they can intrude into the "private lives" and actions of its citizens.

• Areas such as choice of religion, occupation and residence; recreational activities; and individual opinions on issues of both a public and private nature; are deemed to be largely outside the jurisdiction of the state.
• The actions of government are not only restricted by law but are also judged on a regular basis by the citizenry. Elections and plebiscites allow the public to determine whether the current officials should continue to have decision-making powers or whether these officials should be replaced by different ones.