What Is Democracy?
Democracy is a system of government based on the principle that the people have control over their government. This control is exercised through elections and the rule of law, which protects citizens’ rights, maintains order, limits power, and prohibits discrimination. Democracy requires citizen participation in peaceful and free ways, and respect for the views of different groups and individuals. Citizens are expected to participate without violating the rights of others, and not to use violence in exercising their right to vote or their right to freedom of speech. The rule of law also ensures that everyone is treated equally, and not differently because of their race, religion, ethnicity or gender.
The term “Democracy” may refer to any of a wide variety of political arrangements or systems. It can be as simple as a direct referendum on laws and policies or as complex as a representative democracy where the members of a society choose their governing officials to make decisions on their behalf. The idea of democracy is often rooted in fundamental conceptions of the nature of human beings and society that differ widely among scholars and political actors. There is, therefore, much debate over which forms of democracy are morally desirable and when.
Despite these profound differences in how different authors define and describe democracy, most agree that there are certain key features that all democracies must have: rule of law, freedom of assembly and association, property ownership, free speech and religion, a right to vote, and protection from unwarranted governmental deprivation of life and liberty. Moreover, most believe that democracy should be the norm rather than the exception for the global community.
Many surveys of public opinion show that many people feel dissatisfied with the state of their democracy. In fact, this year the Pew Research Center asked respondents in 24 countries what changes they would like to see. The most popular response was that they want better or different politicians.
A wide range of ideas about the nature and purpose of democracy have been advanced, from Platonic theories that democracy is based on virtue and the golden rule to modern arguments that it has to do with economic growth, social justice or the prevention of war. In addition, there are a wide variety of theories about how democracy can fail and what might be done to repair it.
A central challenge is that democracy as a concept and as a practice is multi-faceted, and it is difficult to measure or compare the different aspects of a democratic system. Attempts to do so often result in simple affirmative statements or miss important elements, such as the quality of democracy’s institutions and functions, civil liberties, participation and inclusion, government functioning and accountability, electoral processes, pluralism and accountability, law enforcement, transparency, citizen participation and representation, political parties, and economic factors.
Democracy is a system of government based on the principle that the people have control over their government. This control is exercised through elections and the rule of law, which protects citizens’ rights, maintains order, limits power, and prohibits discrimination. Democracy requires citizen participation in peaceful and free ways, and respect for the views of different groups and individuals. Citizens are expected to participate without violating the rights of others, and not to use violence in exercising their right to vote or their right to freedom of speech. The rule of law also ensures that everyone is treated equally, and not differently because of their race, religion, ethnicity or gender. The term “Democracy” may refer to any of a wide variety of political arrangements or systems. It can be as simple as a direct referendum on laws and policies or as complex as a representative democracy where the members of a society choose their governing officials to make decisions on their behalf. The idea of democracy is often rooted in fundamental conceptions of the nature of human beings and society that differ widely among scholars and political actors. There is, therefore, much debate over which forms of democracy are morally desirable and when. Despite these profound differences in how different authors define and describe democracy, most agree that there are certain key features that all democracies must have: rule of law, freedom of assembly and association, property ownership, free speech and religion, a right to vote, and protection from unwarranted governmental deprivation of life and liberty. Moreover, most believe that democracy should be the norm rather than the exception for the global community. Many surveys of public opinion show that many people feel dissatisfied with the state of their democracy. In fact, this year the Pew Research Center asked respondents in 24 countries what changes they would like to see. The most popular response was that they want better or different politicians. A wide range of ideas about the nature and purpose of democracy have been advanced, from Platonic theories that democracy is based on virtue and the golden rule to modern arguments that it has to do with economic growth, social justice or the prevention of war. In addition, there are a wide variety of theories about how democracy can fail and what might be done to repair it. A central challenge is that democracy as a concept and as a practice is multi-faceted, and it is difficult to measure or compare the different aspects of a democratic system. Attempts to do so often result in simple affirmative statements or miss important elements, such as the quality of democracy’s institutions and functions, civil liberties, participation and inclusion, government functioning and accountability, electoral processes, pluralism and accountability, law enforcement, transparency, citizen participation and representation, political parties, and economic factors.