Democratic
societies
try
to
prevent
any
elected
official
or
group
of
people
from
misusing
or
abusing
their
power.
One of the most
common
abuses
of
power
is
corruption.
corruption
occurs
when
government
officials
use
public
funds
for
their
own
benefit
or
exercise
power
in
an
illegal
manner.
Various
methods
have
been
used
in
different
countries
to
protect
against
these
abuses.
frequently
the
government
is
structured
to
limit
the
powers
of
the
branches
of
government:
to
have
independent
courts
and
agencies
with
power
to
act
against
any
illegal
action
by
an
elected
official
or
branch
of
government;
to
allow
for
citizen
participation
and
elections;
and
to
check
for
police
abuse
of
power.