The Process of Democracy
Democratisation is a broad and complex process through which the political, social and cultural conditions are created for people to participate freely in policy formulation, to hold periodic elections to choose their representatives and to create an environment where human rights can be respected and protected. It is the foundation of a state that can sustain economic growth and promote sustainable development, as the leaders of the world committed to in the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda 2015.
There is no general consensus on what democracy actually is. Some argue that a basic definition of democracy is some form of popular sovereignty, while others think it is a specific method of public participation and contestation or a set of political culture values. A more modest approach would say that a democratic state is one where power can be transferred in an orderly and peaceful fashion from a popularly-mandated leader or party to another, without the upheavals and bloodshed that usually characterize such a transfer in non-democratic systems.
The development of a democratisation process in a society typically takes place over a long period of time, as the new institutions and values take root. Samuel P Huntington identifies three waves of democratisation in history: the first brought democracy to Western Europe and North America in the 19th century; the second wave, which followed World War II; and the third wave, which is currently underway. In each of these periods, the countries that embraced a more consolidated version of democracy were able to grow faster than those that did not.
In many cases, the process of democratisation is slowed down by the difficulty in developing a civil society that is free to express its views. This is the key to achieving genuine participatory democracy. It is essential that people be able to come together as interest groups or to demonstrate against decisions they disagree with. This is one of the pillars of democracy, as stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR Article 20).
It is also essential that citizens be able to have access to information about the choices they have and the decisions that are made by their governments. This includes access to official statistics and information from government agencies, as well as media and other sources. The ability to communicate with others, including through the internet, is also a fundamental pillar of democracy.
Democratisation is particularly important in societies that have gone through extended periods of intractable conflict. The processes of democratisation can help to develop the trust, tolerance and cooperation that are necessary for stable peace and reconciliation in these societies. Creating the conditions for a democracy is a difficult and time-consuming task, however, in part because of the same factors that make stable peace and cooperation so challenging. These include ethnic and other tensions that give rise to intractable conflict. These conflicts are often rooted in the absence of a functioning democratic state. Nevertheless, despite the enormous difficulties and challenges of democratisation, it is crucial for sustainable development.
Democratisation is a broad and complex process through which the political, social and cultural conditions are created for people to participate freely in policy formulation, to hold periodic elections to choose their representatives and to create an environment where human rights can be respected and protected. It is the foundation of a state that can sustain economic growth and promote sustainable development, as the leaders of the world committed to in the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda 2015. There is no general consensus on what democracy actually is. Some argue that a basic definition of democracy is some form of popular sovereignty, while others think it is a specific method of public participation and contestation or a set of political culture values. A more modest approach would say that a democratic state is one where power can be transferred in an orderly and peaceful fashion from a popularly-mandated leader or party to another, without the upheavals and bloodshed that usually characterize such a transfer in non-democratic systems. The development of a democratisation process in a society typically takes place over a long period of time, as the new institutions and values take root. Samuel P Huntington identifies three waves of democratisation in history: the first brought democracy to Western Europe and North America in the 19th century; the second wave, which followed World War II; and the third wave, which is currently underway. In each of these periods, the countries that embraced a more consolidated version of democracy were able to grow faster than those that did not. In many cases, the process of democratisation is slowed down by the difficulty in developing a civil society that is free to express its views. This is the key to achieving genuine participatory democracy. It is essential that people be able to come together as interest groups or to demonstrate against decisions they disagree with. This is one of the pillars of democracy, as stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR Article 20). It is also essential that citizens be able to have access to information about the choices they have and the decisions that are made by their governments. This includes access to official statistics and information from government agencies, as well as media and other sources. The ability to communicate with others, including through the internet, is also a fundamental pillar of democracy. Democratisation is particularly important in societies that have gone through extended periods of intractable conflict. The processes of democratisation can help to develop the trust, tolerance and cooperation that are necessary for stable peace and reconciliation in these societies. Creating the conditions for a democracy is a difficult and time-consuming task, however, in part because of the same factors that make stable peace and cooperation so challenging. These include ethnic and other tensions that give rise to intractable conflict. These conflicts are often rooted in the absence of a functioning democratic state. Nevertheless, despite the enormous difficulties and challenges of democratisation, it is crucial for sustainable development.