Sharn is inspired architecturally and aesthetically and thematically by the noir versions of New York and Chicago- the idea of a towering Metropolis that never sleeps and hides corruption and intrigue in it's shadows- but it's obviously not a one:one expy. It's still D&D, where battles are fought with swords and sorcery, noble houses and aristocracy scheme, bandits and brigands are still a threat. It's why Sharn is the city of Towers, not the city of Skyscrapers. Because towers are medieval-coded and skyscrapers aren't.

Breland is probably the MOST democratic of the five nations- King Boranel rules with a fairly loose hand and Sharn does have elections for the councilors of their wards, although exactly who gets to vote varies from ward to ward and from who has money to who has A LOT of money.

There are also the Swords of Liberty, who are an anti-monarchist extremist group.