ABSTRACT
When we think of governments that exercise power through coercion, we typically think of dictatorships, authoritarian regimes, and pseudo-democracies. The common feature of these regimes is corruption, and control over the government and the people by a select, elite group. In contrast, democratic government provides a potential inhibitor on corruption through constitutional checks and institutional arrangements that are intended to prevent the concentration of power among elites. However, democracy is at risk when these protections fail to provide adequate limitations on governmental power. The success of democracy depends on an active and educated citizenry to function as the watchdog over government.
