What is Democracy?
Democracy is the system of government that is said to be “rule by the people”. Its roots come from the Greek words demos (“people”) and kratos (“power”). It is a form of governing that depends on the popular will. It is an essential component of good governance and the protection of human rights. Democracy requires that the rule of law be applied to all citizens equally and enables the people to hold their representatives accountable.
The most basic way that people participate in democracy is by voting. However, the effectiveness of democracy is dependent on other ways that citizens engage with politics and government. If the people only vote once every 4 or 5 years and then do nothing in the interim, then it is hard to argue that a government is “by the people”.
A well-functioning democracy requires that there be both procedural and substantive democracy, that the processes of government are democratic as well as the decisions made by governments. The United Nations has enshrined the core principles of democracy in its Democratic Charter. These include: respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; free, fair and open elections; a pluralistic political system; the separation of powers; the independence of the judiciary; and freedom of expression and association.
While democracy is a fundamental principle, there are many challenges that it faces. For example, the majority rule in democracy often leads to policies that are unrepresentative of the whole population and can lead to social injustices. Furthermore, a democratic system can be expensive to run and maintain.
One of the most important challenges facing democracy today is the fact that many citizens feel alienated from politics. They no longer feel that their voices are heard and their interests represented by elected officials. The disillusionment is due to many factors: the polarization of American politics; the rise of populist leaders who denigrate the value of liberal values and threaten to impose their own beliefs on society; the growing divide between rich and poor; and the failure of the media to provide a diverse range of news.
Despite the challenges, there is room for improvement in democratic systems. Improvements can be made in the “people” or “will” part of democracy by allowing more people to participate in decision making; and in the “process” or “procedural” part by making the democratic process more transparent and inclusive. Struggles for democracy throughout history have usually concentrated on improving either the “people” or the “power” element of democracy.
As such, the success of democracy is an ongoing struggle. A new generation must be taught the basics of democracy and the importance of civic engagement. A democracy that does not engage its citizens is doomed to fail. As the world grapples with economic and humanitarian crisis, it is vital that we ask ourselves what democracy truly means and how it can be improved. The answer to this question will be different for each country, reflecting the unique political, economic and cultural circumstances.
Democracy is the system of government that is said to be “rule by the people”. Its roots come from the Greek words demos (“people”) and kratos (“power”). It is a form of governing that depends on the popular will. It is an essential component of good governance and the protection of human rights. Democracy requires that the rule of law be applied to all citizens equally and enables the people to hold their representatives accountable. The most basic way that people participate in democracy is by voting. However, the effectiveness of democracy is dependent on other ways that citizens engage with politics and government. If the people only vote once every 4 or 5 years and then do nothing in the interim, then it is hard to argue that a government is “by the people”. A well-functioning democracy requires that there be both procedural and substantive democracy, that the processes of government are democratic as well as the decisions made by governments. The United Nations has enshrined the core principles of democracy in its Democratic Charter. These include: respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; free, fair and open elections; a pluralistic political system; the separation of powers; the independence of the judiciary; and freedom of expression and association. While democracy is a fundamental principle, there are many challenges that it faces. For example, the majority rule in democracy often leads to policies that are unrepresentative of the whole population and can lead to social injustices. Furthermore, a democratic system can be expensive to run and maintain. One of the most important challenges facing democracy today is the fact that many citizens feel alienated from politics. They no longer feel that their voices are heard and their interests represented by elected officials. The disillusionment is due to many factors: the polarization of American politics; the rise of populist leaders who denigrate the value of liberal values and threaten to impose their own beliefs on society; the growing divide between rich and poor; and the failure of the media to provide a diverse range of news. Despite the challenges, there is room for improvement in democratic systems. Improvements can be made in the “people” or “will” part of democracy by allowing more people to participate in decision making; and in the “process” or “procedural” part by making the democratic process more transparent and inclusive. Struggles for democracy throughout history have usually concentrated on improving either the “people” or the “power” element of democracy. As such, the success of democracy is an ongoing struggle. A new generation must be taught the basics of democracy and the importance of civic engagement. A democracy that does not engage its citizens is doomed to fail. As the world grapples with economic and humanitarian crisis, it is vital that we ask ourselves what democracy truly means and how it can be improved. The answer to this question will be different for each country, reflecting the unique political, economic and cultural circumstances.