In political science, the two basic forms of democracy, depending on how people exercise power, are known as which of the following?

Introduction / Context:
Democracy, literally meaning rule by the people, can be classified in different ways. One fundamental classification is based on how citizens participate in decision making. In some democracies, people vote directly on laws and policies; in others, they elect representatives who make decisions on their behalf. This question asks you to identify the correct pair of terms used for these two basic forms of democracy.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The focus is on forms of democracy, not on types of government in general.
• The classification is by how power is exercised by the people.
• Options include Parliamentary and King, Monarchical and Republican, Direct and Indirect, and Parliamentary and Presidential.
• We assume basic understanding of democratic concepts.

Concept / Approach:
When describing democracy, political science often distinguishes between direct democracy and indirect democracy (also called representative democracy). In direct democracy, citizens themselves vote on laws and policies, as in referendums or town hall meetings. In indirect democracy, citizens elect representatives who then make decisions in legislative bodies. Parliamentary and presidential are sub types of representative systems, and monarchical and republican refer to the broader form of the state, not specifically to democratic decision mechanisms. Therefore, the correct pair describing the two basic forms is direct and indirect.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Think about how people can participate in governance: either directly or through elected representatives. Step 2: Recall that direct democracy involves citizens voting on laws and policies without intermediaries. Step 3: Recall that indirect democracy, also known as representative democracy, involves electing representatives to make decisions. Step 4: Compare this with the options and recognise that direct and indirect is the only pair that reflects this division. Step 5: Confirm that other pairs describe different concepts such as forms of government (monarchy vs republic) or sub types of representative systems (parliamentary vs presidential), not the basic forms of democracy itself.

Verification / Alternative check:
Textbooks on civics and political science commonly introduce democracy by explaining direct democracy, using examples such as ancient Athens or modern referendums, and indirect democracy, using examples of parliamentary democracies and other representative systems. They explicitly use the terms direct democracy and indirect democracy in this foundational distinction, which confirms the correctness of option c.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Parliamentary and King is an odd pairing and does not reflect recognised forms of democracy; a king is associated with monarchy. Monarchical and republican describe the form of the state and can apply to many different political systems, not just democracies. Parliamentary and presidential describe two types of representative democracies based on the relationship between legislature and executive, but they do not capture the fundamental direct versus indirect distinction. Therefore, these options are not accurate answers to the question asked.

Common Pitfalls:
Students may confuse classifications and select parliamentary and presidential because those are familiar democratic systems. Another pitfall is to overlook that the question asks specifically for the two forms of democracy, not of government in general. Remembering the simple and foundational division into direct and indirect democracy helps answer correctly and clarifies other concepts later on.

Final Answer:
The two basic forms of democracy are Direct and Indirect democracy.