The sovereign territorial state is a relatively modern form of political organization. States emerged in the West in the aftermath of the decline of the local authority of the feudal system and the universalistic authority of the Roman Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Empire. There are various authoritarian and democratic theories of governance that shape the state as a core political organization. Monarchism, theocracy, and communism applied politically, and fascism are four forms of authoritarian governance. The percentage of countries ruled by authoritarian regimes has declined, but dictatorial governments are still common.
Democracy is a complex concept.
Different procedural and substantive standards serve as a basis to determine whether or not a political system is democratic. There are also disputes over when it is possible or advisable to press all countries to quickly adopt democratic forms of government. Democratic theorists and societies also disagree over the proper balance between individualism and communitarianism in a democracy. Democratic peace theory argues that democracies are unlikely to enter into conflict with one another. Why democracies do not fight one another remains disputed among scholars, with explanations given from institutional, normative, and interest perspectives.