What Is Democracy?
Democracy is an approach to governing that allows the people of a country to choose their leaders. It is a form of government that requires the rule of law, protection of human rights and freedoms, the opportunity for public participation, and free, fair elections with transparent political party competition. The word democracy derives from the Greek words demos (people) and kratos (power), meaning that “the will of the people is the basis of authority.”
Democracy includes many ways in which citizens participate in politics and government, but voting is central. It is the most visible, but there are many other ways for citizens to interact with their government: they can attend public meetings; they can join and support organizations; they can organize themselves into a group that advises or governs; they can hold protests; they can write letters to politicians; they can vote in referenda; they can run as candidates for office.
Democracies are diverse, reflecting each nation’s unique political, social, and cultural life. However, all democracies share some common elements: citizens are guaranteed the right to participate in a healthy civic culture, governments must be subjected to the rule of law, and all individuals have the same level of access to power in their own government.
One of the most fundamental requirements for a democracy is freedom of thought and conscience, which allows individuals to believe what they want and to express their beliefs publicly. This freedom is crucial, as it enables citizens to consider alternative forms of government and to develop democratic institutions that might better meet their needs. It also protects people from being locked away simply for thinking the wrong things.
A key principle in a democracy is that laws must be based on a clear and well-defined set of values. These values are often embodied in international treaties, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that the “will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government”.
While it is impossible to have a perfect democracy, there are ways to improve a democratic system. Struggles to improve democracy normally concentrate on making the process more inclusive and enabling more people to participate in decision making, and more responsive to the people’s will.
While the struggle to build a modern democracy is not an easy one, it remains far preferable to autocracy for most people. A growing number of countries are moving closer to realizing the ideals of democracy and, in the process, achieving the benefits it offers: prosperity, peace and good governance. The world’s leaders have committed to the goals of democracy, including periodic and genuine elections with universal suffrage, as part of their pledge in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This is an important step toward a world that can provide the opportunities and security that all people deserve. This article is designed to provide supplemental information and context for this important global commitment. It should be used in conjunction with the Student Backgrounder and Frayer model on DemocracyOpen new Window.
Democracy is an approach to governing that allows the people of a country to choose their leaders. It is a form of government that requires the rule of law, protection of human rights and freedoms, the opportunity for public participation, and free, fair elections with transparent political party competition. The word democracy derives from the Greek words demos (people) and kratos (power), meaning that “the will of the people is the basis of authority.” Democracy includes many ways in which citizens participate in politics and government, but voting is central. It is the most visible, but there are many other ways for citizens to interact with their government: they can attend public meetings; they can join and support organizations; they can organize themselves into a group that advises or governs; they can hold protests; they can write letters to politicians; they can vote in referenda; they can run as candidates for office. Democracies are diverse, reflecting each nation’s unique political, social, and cultural life. However, all democracies share some common elements: citizens are guaranteed the right to participate in a healthy civic culture, governments must be subjected to the rule of law, and all individuals have the same level of access to power in their own government. One of the most fundamental requirements for a democracy is freedom of thought and conscience, which allows individuals to believe what they want and to express their beliefs publicly. This freedom is crucial, as it enables citizens to consider alternative forms of government and to develop democratic institutions that might better meet their needs. It also protects people from being locked away simply for thinking the wrong things. A key principle in a democracy is that laws must be based on a clear and well-defined set of values. These values are often embodied in international treaties, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that the “will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government”. While it is impossible to have a perfect democracy, there are ways to improve a democratic system. Struggles to improve democracy normally concentrate on making the process more inclusive and enabling more people to participate in decision making, and more responsive to the people’s will. While the struggle to build a modern democracy is not an easy one, it remains far preferable to autocracy for most people. A growing number of countries are moving closer to realizing the ideals of democracy and, in the process, achieving the benefits it offers: prosperity, peace and good governance. The world’s leaders have committed to the goals of democracy, including periodic and genuine elections with universal suffrage, as part of their pledge in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This is an important step toward a world that can provide the opportunities and security that all people deserve. This article is designed to provide supplemental information and context for this important global commitment. It should be used in conjunction with the Student Backgrounder and Frayer model on DemocracyOpen new Window.