Valdarian democracy is one of the first of it's kind, the first system originating in the late 100s, when the former King of Valdar stepped down from his position due to extreme public opposition to the monarchy. Established by the more wealthy aristocrats, the first stages of the democracy functioned more like an aristocracy, though there were certainly more freedoms for the common people, as in getting to elect governors. Following the Great Valdarian Revolts in the early 200s, just a few decades after the more aristocratic system was established, it crumbled, giving way to a more democratic republic.
Also present during the early days of Valdar was a caste system, with the nobility at the top, slaves at the bottom, and peasants and skilled workers in the middle. While the caste system grew more relaxed following the Great Valdarian Revolts, it was still very much present during the days in which the Valdarian democracy was founded, which the founding fathers of the government adhered to when they began to build a governing model. The second model of this new republic withheld votes from lower classes, giving them to the wealthy and the skilled.
The central government was divided into multiple ministries, each concerned with a different task, such as the Ministry of Agriculture, which concerned itself with, well, agriculture. The ministers of these different branches were decided by the president, who was elected by members of Congress, which the congressmen were elected by the people allowed to vote.
This form of very limited democracy would see small changes over the years, but one of the more radical changes was during the Valdarian Diplomatic Incident of 548, when the entire slave caste was abolished, and the caste system, already weakened, completely collapsed. This caused a crisis within the government, as without the caste system, no one knew how to distinguish poor-looking nobles from rich-looking peasants. The solution to this problem came in the form of laws mandating voting licenses, tests for voting, and fees to distinguish the bourgeoisie from the plebeians.
Along with this abolishment of the caste system came political parties within the different institutions, such as the Party for Scientific Advancement, (PSA) run by the Valdarian Scientist Association, the Valdarian Isolationist Party (VIP), and the Traditionalist Interference Party, (TIP). These three parties have fought over the seat of president multiple times in multiple elections, and for the majority of seats in Congress, of which there are 278 total. The party that gets the most seats often manages to elect a president from their party to the office.