The Definition of Democracy
Democracy is a system of government by the people, meaning that the laws, policies and leadership of a country are decided by its citizens. It can either be a form of direct democracy where everyone gets a say in the decision, such as a referendum or an election, or a representative democracy where the citizens choose their representatives to vote for them and make decisions on their behalf, like in the US Congress or UK Parliament.
It can be one of the most empowering political systems that exists, but it also has many serious disadvantages that must be overcome in order to maintain and improve its benefits. The word ‘democracy’ is derived from the Greek words demos (people) and kratos (rule). The word was coined in the mid 5th century bce to describe the political systems that existed in some of the Greek city-states. In its current form, it has become one of the world’s most popular political systems with more than half of the world’s population now living in democratic countries.
The definition of democracy includes the principles that all people must have equal rights and opportunities, free speech and expression and a government that is transparent, responsive and accountable to its citizens. The democratic process is meant to balance change with stability and people must be willing to compromise, understand different points of view and demonstrate that they can trust their government and its institutions.
However, a large majority of people are dissatisfied with the state of their democracy, based on the results of the 2018 Pew Research Center Global Attitudes Survey. The survey showed that people in most nations believe that elections do not bring about the change they want, that politicians are corrupt and out of touch and that courts do not treat them fairly.
The most important factors that influence whether a democracy is healthy or not are the quality of its institutions, the degree to which it promotes equality and the extent to which its citizens participate in society. These factors include:
A democracy that is not functioning well may experience economic inequality, high levels of corruption, a lack of social mobility, and a deteriorating environment for civil liberties. Generally speaking, democracies with strong and robust civic participation are those that are resilient during times of crisis, as they are better able to adapt to new challenges and recover from setbacks.
No association could maintain a democracy for very long if a significant proportion of the demos or government believes that some other form of government would be more suitable. The minimum condition for a democratic system is that a substantial proportion of both the demos and the government believe that popular democracy is better than any feasible alternative. This principle is best illustrated by the fact that most countries have a constitutional framework stipulating open competition in elections, the legitimacy of the outcomes of those elections and adherence to these results. This demonstrates the will of the people for democracy and is an essential requirement for any democracy that wishes to endure.
Democracy is a system of government by the people, meaning that the laws, policies and leadership of a country are decided by its citizens. It can either be a form of direct democracy where everyone gets a say in the decision, such as a referendum or an election, or a representative democracy where the citizens choose their representatives to vote for them and make decisions on their behalf, like in the US Congress or UK Parliament. It can be one of the most empowering political systems that exists, but it also has many serious disadvantages that must be overcome in order to maintain and improve its benefits. The word ‘democracy’ is derived from the Greek words demos (people) and kratos (rule). The word was coined in the mid 5th century bce to describe the political systems that existed in some of the Greek city-states. In its current form, it has become one of the world’s most popular political systems with more than half of the world’s population now living in democratic countries. The definition of democracy includes the principles that all people must have equal rights and opportunities, free speech and expression and a government that is transparent, responsive and accountable to its citizens. The democratic process is meant to balance change with stability and people must be willing to compromise, understand different points of view and demonstrate that they can trust their government and its institutions. However, a large majority of people are dissatisfied with the state of their democracy, based on the results of the 2018 Pew Research Center Global Attitudes Survey. The survey showed that people in most nations believe that elections do not bring about the change they want, that politicians are corrupt and out of touch and that courts do not treat them fairly. The most important factors that influence whether a democracy is healthy or not are the quality of its institutions, the degree to which it promotes equality and the extent to which its citizens participate in society. These factors include: A democracy that is not functioning well may experience economic inequality, high levels of corruption, a lack of social mobility, and a deteriorating environment for civil liberties. Generally speaking, democracies with strong and robust civic participation are those that are resilient during times of crisis, as they are better able to adapt to new challenges and recover from setbacks. No association could maintain a democracy for very long if a significant proportion of the demos or government believes that some other form of government would be more suitable. The minimum condition for a democratic system is that a substantial proportion of both the demos and the government believe that popular democracy is better than any feasible alternative. This principle is best illustrated by the fact that most countries have a constitutional framework stipulating open competition in elections, the legitimacy of the outcomes of those elections and adherence to these results. This demonstrates the will of the people for democracy and is an essential requirement for any democracy that wishes to endure.