Final answer:
Countries that reflect low power distance values tend to be highly democratic and expect equality in power among their citizens and institutions. They stand in contrast to high power distance countries, where inequality in power distribution is more accepted and there's often a concentration of power among a few.
Step-by-step explanation:
Countries whose social values reflect low power distance typically exhibit certain characteristics in their societal and political structures. One of the main traits of such countries is that they expect equality in power. This expectation manifests in the form of democratic governance where power is distributed more evenly among the citizens and institutions. It is a system that encourages participation and minimizes the disparities between different levels of society and government. Thus, highly democratic nations often exhibit low power distance because they support the idea that everyone has a degree of influence and say in the political process. In these nations, there is generally a lesser acceptance of inequality in power among institutions, organizations, and people.
In contrast, countries with high power distance are more likely to accept inequality in power distribution, with power often concentrated in the hands of a select few. These nations may show less democratic involvement by the general population and might have stronger hierarchies within their societal and organizational structures. The idea that certain individuals or institutions have more control or influence is more readily accepted in high power distance cultures. Additionally, power distance is not directly related to how societies handle uncertainty; this is more aptly described by another cultural dimension known as uncertainty avoidance.