History Main / AliensNeverInventedDemocracy

* Among the standard races of ''VideoGame/MasterOfOrion'' 2 only humans have democratic government. All other alien races are ruled by dictators, have feudal society or have {{HiveMind}}.

Contrast with AliensNeverInventedTheWheel for the technical counterpart. See also FeudalFuture for when the humans don't have democracy any more either.

** The Peacekeepers are under a military dictatorship so ingraine that practically in their society Army equals State. Partially averted in that they are [[spoiler:TransplantedHumans]].

** The Nebari Establishment is an Orwelian totalitarian nightmare.

** The [[SpaceElves Eldritch]] and [[DraconicHumanoid Chatcaava]] of the ''Literature/ParadoxUniverse'' have feudal governments. Though the Chatcaava place more importance on [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority strength]] than bloodline. While not really aliens at least one [[HumanAliens Pelted]] race, the Hinichi, also operate under a feudal system.
** ''Literature/{{Kherishdar}}'' is about the Ai-Naidar, a species with a rigid, caste-based empire. The short stories are largely about how this works for them.
** [[Literature/TalesOfTheJokka The Jokka]] generally don't have much of a government, several houses bound more by contract than blood coexist in a city and generally handle their own affairs, until the rise of the Stone Moon Empire.

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* Inverted in ''TabletopGame/{{Traveller}}'' with the exception of the K'kree. The largest human government in the setting is a feudal Imperium while most of the other major races have different forms of government. The Aslan have tribal clans while the Hiver Federation can best be described as "libertarian socialism", and the Vargr seem incapable of holding together any government for long.
[[/folder]]

** The Dominion: Techincially a Theocracy with the Founders (who are considered gods by their subjects) at the top.

Sometimes this is done because the writer wants to make the aliens truly alien in culture, thus having weird, even sometimes incomprehensible, political systems is a way. However, if the aliens' government system is just another non-democratic human system like absolute monarchy or dictatorship, then this is not the reason. In some works it could be a way to present humanity's [[GoodRepublicEvilEmpire nice democratic system vs the aliens' evil Empire]], which is very common when TheFederation faces TheEmpire. Sometimes is just a matter of PlanetOfHats: some writers just can't think that a ProudWarriorRace can be democratic (despite the fact that we have many examples in our own world) because, well [[ArmiesAreEvil warriors are not democrats]], also in scenarios of AlienInvasion, having the invaders enjoying a democracy would feel kind of contradictory (despite, again, many examples in our history were democratic republics held vast cruel empires and submitted other peoples without considering this a contradiction).

Sometimes this is done because the writer wants to make the aliens truly alien in culture, thus having weird, even sometimes incomprehensible, political systems is a way. However, if the aliens' government system is just another non-democratic human system like monarchy or dictatorship, then this is not the reason. In some works it could be a way to present humanity's [[GoodRepublicEvilEmpire nice democratic system vs the aliens' evil Empire]], which is very common when TheFederation faces TheEmpire. Sometimes is just a matter of PlanetOfHats: some writers just can't think that a ProudWarriorRace can be democratic (despite the fact that we have many examples in our own world) because, well [[ArmiesAreEvil warriors are not democrats]], also in scenarios of AlienInvasion, having the invaders enjoying a democracy would feel kind of contradictory (despite, again, many examples in our history were democratic republics held vast cruel empires and submitted other peoples without considering this a contradiction).

** The Centauri Republic: Despite the name a monarchy (and not the constitutional one) with an Emperor full in power. The Centaurum which is like the Roman Senate and is composed of representatives from the noble houses may control the Emperor's actions but rarely does.

** The Turian Hierarchy is a military meritocracy.

** The Tarka Imperium is a military monarchy.

** The Nebari Establishment is a Orwelian totalitarian nightmare.

Sometimes this is done because the writer wants to make the aliens truly alien in culture, thus having weird, even sometimes incomprehensible, political systems is a way. However, if the aliens' government system is just another non-democratic human system like monarchy or dictatorship, then this is not the reason. In some works it could be a way to present humanity's [[GoodRepublicEvilEmpire nice democratic system vs the aliens' evil Empire]], which is very common when TheFederation faces TheEmpire. Sometimes is just a matter of PlanetOfHats: some writers just can't think that a ProudWarriorRace can be democratic (despite the fact that we have many examples in our own world) because, well [[ArmiesAreEvil warriors are not democrats]], also in scenarios of AlienInvasion, having the invaders enjoying a democracy would feel kind of contradictory (despite, again, many examples in our history were democratic republics held vast cruel empires and submitted other peoples without considering this a contradiction). Contrast with AliensNeverInventedTheWheel for the technical counterpart. See also FeudalFuture for when the humans don't have democracy any more either.

* In the ''Literature/JohnCarterOfMars'' series most of the Barsoomian races are ruled by monarchs, save for the tribal Green Martians. John Carter of course marries the princess of the Red Martian city of Helium.

* Subverted in ''Anime/AldnoahZero''. Martians have a monarchy but [[spoiler:they aren't actually aliens. They're humans who created civilization on Mars and dissociate themselves from Earth bound humans due to FantasticRacism.]]

* [[TheReptilians The Race]] in Creator/HarryTurtledove's ''Literature/{{Worldwar}}'' had not concept of democracy until they conquest the Earth and met humans. The name for the system in their language is "snout-counting".
* Creator/HPLovecraft rarely went into detail about his aliens' societies, except in ''Literature/TheShadowOutOfTime'' with the Great Race of Yith described as having "a sort of fascistic socialism".
* In the ''Literature/JohnCarterOfMars'' series most of the Barsoomian races are ruled by monarchs, save for the tribal Green Martians. John Carter of course marries the princess of the Red Martian city of Helium.

* ''Series/StargateSG1'': Between the collapse of the Goa'uld Empire and the Ori invasion, the Free Jaffa attempt to establish a nation of their own. Early on, there's a conflict between Teal'c, one of the main cast members and pro-democracy, and Gerak, who favors [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority representation based on military strength]]. [[spoiler:Gerak later has to make a HeroicSacrifice to end the Ori plague on Earth, and Teal'c and Bra'tac push the Free Jaffa Nation back to traditional representative democracy.]]
* ''Series/ThirdRockFromTheSun'': The Universe is ruled by the Big Giant Head, an absolute monarch.

* ''VideoGame/MassEffect'':
** The Salarian Union have a decentralized feudal matriarchy.
** The Turian Hierarchy is a military meritocracy.
** With the Krogan their tribal society is built entirely upon AsskickingEqualsAuthority. You want your voice heard when the leader is being stubborn? Either impress the leader with your strength enough that he concedes the point, or '''force''' him out of power and take the reins yourself.
** The Quarian Migrant Fleet is under perpetual martial law, but each ship has an elected council that sends representatives to the Conclave.
** Subverted with the Asari Republics, who have an absolute direct democracy facilitated by the Extranet.

[[AC:Anime & Manga]]

[[AC:Comics]]

[[AC:Eastern Animation]]

[[AC:Fan Works]]

[[AC:Literature]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

[[AC:Tabletop Games]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

[[AC:Webcomics]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

** The Narn Regime: A Military Junta lead by the leaders of LaResistance against the Centauri.

Sometimes this is done because the writer wants to make the aliens truly alien in culture, thus having weird, even sometimes incomprehensible, political systems is a way. However, if the aliens' government system is just another non-democratic human system like monarchy or dictatorship, then this is not the reason. In some works it could be a way to present humanity's [[GoodRepublicEvilEmpire nice democratic system vs the aliens' evil Empire]], which is very common when TheFederation faces TheEmpire. Sometimes is just a matter of PlanetOfHats: some writers just can't think that a ProudWarriorRace can be democratic (despite the fact that we have many examples in our own world) because, well [[ArmiesAreEvil warriors are not democrats]], also in scenarios of AlienInvasion, having the invaders enjoying a democracy would feel kind of contradictory (despite, again, many examples in our history were democratic republics held vast cruel empires and submitted other peoples without considering this a contradiction). Contrast with AliensNeverInventedTheWheel for the technical counterpart.

** The Klingon Empire: A feudal oligarchy with the heads of the noble houses conforming the High Council and choosing a Chancellor. They use to have fully empowered Emperors who were successors of Kahless (their culture's Jesus) but the figure was abandoned some 200 years before the first series starts. A clone of Kahless was later named Emperor but with only decorative and religious functions.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}, whilst the Earth government is essentially a carbon copy of the US presidential system, the rest of the species have:

** The Decapodians are ruled by celibate priest (out of necessity as they die after mating).

** ''{{Kherishdar}}'' is about the Ai-Naidar, a species with a rigid, caste-based empire. The short stories are largely about how this works for them.

** The Brakiri Syndicracy: A case of GovernmentInc.

** The Ferengi Alliance: A Monarchy lead by the Grand Negus as the figurehead, all the rest of the administration is basically GovernmentInc.

* ''VideoGame/{{X}}'': The Argon (a LostColony of humans) are the only explicitly representative government among the major factions, giving a senator to every inhabited planet, moon, or space station in their territory. The rest are the Boron (TheKingdom), the Split (TheEmpire), the Paranids (TheTheocracy), and the Teladi (GovernmentInc). It's unclear what form the Terran government takes.

* Emperor Ming from the ''ComicBook/FlashGordon'' universe rules not only his homeworld of Mongo, but subjugates several neighboring worlds as well, organized roughly like fiefdoms. Ming shrewdly encourages these worlds to fight among themselves to curry his favor, as it weakens their defenses and confounds efforts to overthrow him.