Seigfreid Johnis Uy November, 2015 V25 Sir Borja The Philippines restored its democracy at the end of the Martial Law, back in 1981. Furthermore, it is common knowledge that a country following a democratic system is one that is for the people and by the people. However, looking at the state of the Philippines now, and all the issues surrounding its government, it can be argued whether we really are a democratic state. Whether the Philippines should abandon a democratic system and follow an authoritarian system, one should first look at the pros and cons of both. Examining both systems of government, it is easy to see the benefits and weaknesses of both. A democratic state involves the whole nation in deciding the leader for its country while an authoritarian state only involves a select few in its election process. Though it might seem that a democratic state would be the better solution, it is not that simple. Take the Philippines as an example, by having uneducated voters, it so happens that even though some politicians are already bombarded with scandals and issues, they still rank high in surveys done by credible organizations. On the other hand, even though an authoritarian system does not take as much time in electing since only a select few are part of the appointing process, without the power of the citizens in the decision making process, the citizens would have a hard time overthrowing a leader they do not like.