Answer
Today, in most of the world democracy is the standard of government. However, some democracies are more democratic than others , that is, the people have greater control under some forms of democratic government than under others: Thus there are presidential , parliamentary representative and social democracies;
A government that is run according to the interest of a ruler or a ruling elite is called an autocracy.
In some governments the ruler or members of the ruling elite steal wealth from government and use it to benefit themselves and their family members and cronies. This kind of government has been called a kleptocracy.
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A true people's democracy is characterized by supremacy of the constitution and laws that protect the rights of the governed. . There are limits to governmental power in a democracy , and the people are accorded rights to express themselves freely. Some other characteristics of a true democracy are a free press, regular free elections for public offices, trial in an impartial court system, the right to run for public office, the right to own property and to benefit from one's labor.
In an autocracy, the government is not run for the benefit of the people but in the interest of a ruling elite or ruler. Such a government is characterized by secrecy, coercion and manipulation of citizens, one approved candidate for elected offices, and limits on journalism and the press.
If the rulers steal from the government for the private benefit of themselves and their family/relatives, then the government is called a kleptocracy. In such a government money is siphoned off from government sources and usually secreted in foreign banks. Thus a privileged few benefit form the wealth of a country while most of the citizens live in poverty. Several African, South American and Middle Eastern governments can be considered kleptocracy.
