There are many different types of totalitarian, fascist, and democratic systems. To make this even more complicated, it is possible to have democratic systems with either capitalist and socialist economies and totalitarian systems which are either capitalistic or socialistic.
The main distinction between democracy and all forms of totalitarianism is that democracies elect leaders and the leaders in democracies have limited powers, constrained by their electorates. Often democracies have constitutions that mandate term limits for their leaders and a regular electoral cycle to prevent leaders from accumulating excessive power. Many democracies also split power among executive, judiciary, and legislative branches to create a balance of powers. Ideologically, democracy is grounded in the ideal of equal rights for all citizens, and aims at a political system that expresses the will of the people, whatever that will might be.
Totalitarian or fascistic systems centralize all power in a single leader or small oligarchy. Citizens to not have the opportunity to vote, select leaders, or have input on legislation. Often fascist systems claim to be more efficient than democratic ones, arguing that a unified and benevolent leadership is actually better than a "tyranny of the mob." Often totalitarian leaders believe that they are naturally superior to the people over whom they rule. Totalitarian systems often justify their existence by focus on some ultimate ideological goal which justifies extreme suppression of individual rights.
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