Democracy/Legends

"The Jedi are not political. In a democracy, everything is political, Anakin. And everyone"

- Anakin Skywalker and Chancellor Palpatine

Democracy was a form of government. In this form of government, decisions were made by a vote of the people, though in some cases, representatives might be elected to conduct a democratic vote of such issues.

One type of democracy was direct democracy.

History
"I've opposed the war, I opposed Palpatine's emergency powers--I publicly called him a threat to democracy!" "That's all behind us now.''" "What is? What I've done? Or democracy?"

- Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker

The Galactic Republic was a democracy with power entrusted to the Galactic Senate. Throughout its existence, it became increasingly corrupt, the Senators elected to represent the interests of their people beholden to powerful organizations and individuals who controlled events behind the scenes. During the Clone Wars, the Senate seceded increasingly greater powers to Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, who eventually created the Galactic Empire out of the ashes of Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems that had split from it and claimed the title of Galactic Emperor. The Galactic Senate was allowed continued existence as a sham of democracy until it was finally dissolved in 0 ABY.

As Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and Anakin Skywalker discussed the nature of the Jedi, Anakin tried to argue that the Jedi weren't political, but Palpatine felt that any organization that existed in a democracy was political in some way. As the Delegation of 2000 discussed their growing concern over Palpatine's power grab, Bail Organa expressed that they could not let a thousand years of democracy disappear without a fight and Mon Mothma that Palpatine had become an enemy of democracy. Later, Palpatine expressed to Skywalker that the Jedi did not trust him, the Senate, the Republic or even democracy itself.

When speaking with Anakin Skywalker regarding her growing concerns about the direction of the Clone Wars, Padmé Amidala worried that the democracy they were fighting for no longer existed. Later, when Amidala stated that the Jedi Council was the bedrock of the Republic, he replied that its bedrock was democracy, something that the Council didn't like. After Anakin fell to the dark side of the Force and came to visit her, she wondered if democracy was something that was now in the past.

As Palpatine gave a speech swearing himself in as Galactic Emperor, he declared "Now is the time! Now we will strike back! Now we will destroy the destroyers! Death to the enemies of democracy!"

Appearances

 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith novelization
 * The New Jedi Order: Edge of Victory II: Rebirth