What is Democracy?
Democracy means “government of the people, by the people.” Democracy requires freedom to participate in political decision making and a system of laws and rights that promote equality and opportunity. Democracy is an essential element of human development and the fulfilment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
In the past, some people have thought of democracy as a form of mob rule, or “tyranny of the majority.” But over time many democratic systems have developed to protect citizens’ individual interests and ensure that the decisions made by those in power are legitimate.
Some modern democratic systems are direct democracies, where citizens vote on the legislation they want to see passed, while others are representative democracies where citizens elect representatives to pass laws on their behalf. Both forms have advantages and disadvantages.
A major challenge is how to balance the demands of democracy and other aspects of good governance. For example, it is difficult to make democracy work if the economy of a country is based on gross inequality because this does not allow the government to be truly “of the people” or to represent their interests.
There are also challenges around the way that democracy is contested and undermined. For example, in some places the media is censored to prevent criticism of the government. In other countries, electoral systems are designed to favour the rich and powerful.
The term democracy comes from two Greek words, “demos” (the people) and “kratia” (“power” or “authority”). There are several definitions of democracy but the key features include:
The most obvious way that we can take part in democracy is by voting, but there are many other ways in which we can do so. The most important thing is that we use all the means of participation available to us, not just by voting or running for office. The more we participate, the stronger our democracy will be.
Democracy means “government of the people, by the people.” Democracy requires freedom to participate in political decision making and a system of laws and rights that promote equality and opportunity. Democracy is an essential element of human development and the fulfilment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In the past, some people have thought of democracy as a form of mob rule, or “tyranny of the majority.” But over time many democratic systems have developed to protect citizens’ individual interests and ensure that the decisions made by those in power are legitimate. Some modern democratic systems are direct democracies, where citizens vote on the legislation they want to see passed, while others are representative democracies where citizens elect representatives to pass laws on their behalf. Both forms have advantages and disadvantages. A major challenge is how to balance the demands of democracy and other aspects of good governance. For example, it is difficult to make democracy work if the economy of a country is based on gross inequality because this does not allow the government to be truly “of the people” or to represent their interests. There are also challenges around the way that democracy is contested and undermined. For example, in some places the media is censored to prevent criticism of the government. In other countries, electoral systems are designed to favour the rich and powerful. The term democracy comes from two Greek words, “demos” (the people) and “kratia” (“power” or “authority”). There are several definitions of democracy but the key features include: The most obvious way that we can take part in democracy is by voting, but there are many other ways in which we can do so. The most important thing is that we use all the means of participation available to us, not just by voting or running for office. The more we participate, the stronger our democracy will be.