What Is Democracy?
The word “democracy” comes from the Greek words demos (people) and kratos (rule or power). It suggests a belief that people deserve to have the ultimate say in deciding their own futures, rather than being ruled over by elites based on inherited wealth, birth or class status. The ideal of democracy is a form of government in which citizens can choose their own leaders and the law making process is transparent. Democracy requires free and regular elections and the protection of human rights.
It is widely believed that democratic forms of government are more successful than non-democracies in terms of economic growth and human welfare. However, the exact reason for this is unknown. One theory is that democracy increases prosperity by allowing the creation of large and growing markets in which individuals can pursue their own economic goals. Another is that democracy increases the efficiency of economies by enabling more innovation and competition, and thus preventing the development of monopolies.
Throughout history, there have been many struggles for democracy. These have normally focused on improving either the “people’s” part of the concept, by increasing the number of people involved in decision making, or the “power” or “will” part of the concept, by giving the people more real power over their lives. Improvements in both of these aspects are needed to produce a fully functional democracy.
Many of the world’s states have moved closer to democracy over recent centuries. But a significant number of countries remain authoritarian. In some cases this has been the result of a deliberate campaign to undermine democracy, in others it has happened by accident. There are a number of different kinds of democracy, each with its own unique features and strengths.
A minimum requirement for the continued existence of a democracy is that a substantial proportion of both the demos and the leadership believes that popular government is better than any other possible alternative. The other requirements vary depending on the type of democracy in question.
For example, Socrates argued that a democracy without educated masses would lead to a situation in which popularity is the criteria for becoming an elected leader and not competence. Other requirements include ensuring that everyone has the right to free expression of their opinions and that no group is excluded from participation in politics.
It is important to remember that democracy is not just a political system, but also a way of life. It is vital that the principles of democracy are woven into all areas of society and that young people are brought in at an early stage so they can develop their citizenship skills and become active members of society.
There are many ways in which the citizens of a country can take part in their own government, including voting, standing for office or joining interest groups. The effective functioning of democracy relies on ordinary people using these and other mechanisms as much as they can. If people only vote once every four or five years, or do not vote at all, then it is difficult to see how a state can claim to be a democracy.
The word “democracy” comes from the Greek words demos (people) and kratos (rule or power). It suggests a belief that people deserve to have the ultimate say in deciding their own futures, rather than being ruled over by elites based on inherited wealth, birth or class status. The ideal of democracy is a form of government in which citizens can choose their own leaders and the law making process is transparent. Democracy requires free and regular elections and the protection of human rights. It is widely believed that democratic forms of government are more successful than non-democracies in terms of economic growth and human welfare. However, the exact reason for this is unknown. One theory is that democracy increases prosperity by allowing the creation of large and growing markets in which individuals can pursue their own economic goals. Another is that democracy increases the efficiency of economies by enabling more innovation and competition, and thus preventing the development of monopolies. Throughout history, there have been many struggles for democracy. These have normally focused on improving either the “people’s” part of the concept, by increasing the number of people involved in decision making, or the “power” or “will” part of the concept, by giving the people more real power over their lives. Improvements in both of these aspects are needed to produce a fully functional democracy. Many of the world’s states have moved closer to democracy over recent centuries. But a significant number of countries remain authoritarian. In some cases this has been the result of a deliberate campaign to undermine democracy, in others it has happened by accident. There are a number of different kinds of democracy, each with its own unique features and strengths. A minimum requirement for the continued existence of a democracy is that a substantial proportion of both the demos and the leadership believes that popular government is better than any other possible alternative. The other requirements vary depending on the type of democracy in question. For example, Socrates argued that a democracy without educated masses would lead to a situation in which popularity is the criteria for becoming an elected leader and not competence. Other requirements include ensuring that everyone has the right to free expression of their opinions and that no group is excluded from participation in politics. It is important to remember that democracy is not just a political system, but also a way of life. It is vital that the principles of democracy are woven into all areas of society and that young people are brought in at an early stage so they can develop their citizenship skills and become active members of society. There are many ways in which the citizens of a country can take part in their own government, including voting, standing for office or joining interest groups. The effective functioning of democracy relies on ordinary people using these and other mechanisms as much as they can. If people only vote once every four or five years, or do not vote at all, then it is difficult to see how a state can claim to be a democracy.