Democracies – What is a Democracy?
Democracy is a system of government by the people. It is based on the principle that all people have equal rights and freedoms and that citizens govern themselves through regular, free and fair elections. Democracies have to prove that they are democratic by demonstrating their ability to address the issues and concerns of people on a daily basis – whether that is tackling pollution, fighting for education or defending human rights. This requires extensive participation by the people.
This participation can take many forms. It can be a vote, a petition, a protest or simply getting involved in your community. The more involved that people are, the more likely a democracy is to be successful. Democracies also have to respect the rights and opinions of all, regardless of their social status or economic background. This is referred to as the ‘rule of law’.
Nevertheless, it is not easy demo slot to define what a democracy is. The word is taken from the Greek words demos (people) and kratos (power or rule). Democracy can therefore be described as any system of government in which power is vested in the people, but it is not limited to parliamentary democracies where the majority rules.
There are also presidential democracies, federal democracies and unitary democracies. There are even democracies that use proportional representation, those that don’t and others where people are allowed to run for office. In addition to these differences, there are different views on what is and is not a democracy. For example, some argue that only those who are allowed to vote are truly a part of a democracy, while others say that anyone who is willing to stand up for their beliefs and make a difference is a true democrat.
Modern democracies have developed over centuries as citizens came together and worked towards a fairer society. This continues to happen today. Despite this, some citizens are becoming disillusioned with their democracies and pessimistic about the future.
The reason is that the very essence of a democracy is being challenged. Whether this is due to political infighting, money politics or veto power it is clear that the ideals of democracy are being seriously threatened. This explains why the UN is committed to strengthening democracies around the world.
While there is no perfect model of democracy, each country must establish and develop its own democratic systems based on its national history and adapt these to the specific context of its people and its needs. This will take time and it is important that the people understand the value of democracy and are not easily persuaded by foreign ideas that are not relevant to them.
In order to safeguard democracy, it is essential that it starts at the local level – in our towns, cities and neighbourhoods. This is why it’s so encouraging to see young people in their twenties and thirties taking to the streets to protest against injustice or to call for action on global problems such as climate change, corporate exploitation and war.
Democracy is a system of government by the people. It is based on the principle that all people have equal rights and freedoms and that citizens govern themselves through regular, free and fair elections. Democracies have to prove that they are democratic by demonstrating their ability to address the issues and concerns of people on a daily basis – whether that is tackling pollution, fighting for education or defending human rights. This requires extensive participation by the people. This participation can take many forms. It can be a vote, a petition, a protest or simply getting involved in your community. The more involved that people are, the more likely a democracy is to be successful. Democracies also have to respect the rights and opinions of all, regardless of their social status or economic background. This is referred to as the ‘rule of law’. Nevertheless, it is not easy demo slot to define what a democracy is. The word is taken from the Greek words demos (people) and kratos (power or rule). Democracy can therefore be described as any system of government in which power is vested in the people, but it is not limited to parliamentary democracies where the majority rules. There are also presidential democracies, federal democracies and unitary democracies. There are even democracies that use proportional representation, those that don’t and others where people are allowed to run for office. In addition to these differences, there are different views on what is and is not a democracy. For example, some argue that only those who are allowed to vote are truly a part of a democracy, while others say that anyone who is willing to stand up for their beliefs and make a difference is a true democrat. Modern democracies have developed over centuries as citizens came together and worked towards a fairer society. This continues to happen today. Despite this, some citizens are becoming disillusioned with their democracies and pessimistic about the future. The reason is that the very essence of a democracy is being challenged. Whether this is due to political infighting, money politics or veto power it is clear that the ideals of democracy are being seriously threatened. This explains why the UN is committed to strengthening democracies around the world. While there is no perfect model of democracy, each country must establish and develop its own democratic systems based on its national history and adapt these to the specific context of its people and its needs. This will take time and it is important that the people understand the value of democracy and are not easily persuaded by foreign ideas that are not relevant to them. In order to safeguard democracy, it is essential that it starts at the local level – in our towns, cities and neighbourhoods. This is why it’s so encouraging to see young people in their twenties and thirties taking to the streets to protest against injustice or to call for action on global problems such as climate change, corporate exploitation and war.