What Is Democracy?
Democracy is the system of government by which decisions about law and policy are made by a group of individuals who are elected to represent the views and interests of members of society. Democracy is based on the principle that people should have equal opportunities to advance their own interests, and that they ought to be able to see that others are doing so equally well. Democracy is also based on the recognition that human beings have highly fallible understandings of their own and other people’s interests, and that it is therefore necessary to involve them in a collective effort to promote the common good.
Democracies may differ in how laws and policies are made, but they all share some important features. These include a commitment to equality, the opportunity for citizens to participate in decision making, and the guarantee of the rights of freedom of expression, assembly and association. These rights are essential for a healthy democracy and the effective pursuit of interests.
The most basic form of democracy involves a one-person-one-vote system for electing representatives to parliament. This has been the norm in most of the world for over two centuries. More sophisticated forms involve a mix of direct and indirect methods for citizens to express their preferences, and are designed to increase the representation of minority viewpoints. Some also allow for proportional representation.
Ultimately, the most important feature of democracy is the fact that citizens have an opportunity to choose their leaders. This gives them a powerful incentive to hold their representatives accountable for the policies they pursue and the results of their efforts. This accountability has served as a crucial check against corruption and tyranny throughout history, and is what makes democracy unique among political systems.
In many ways, democracy is the most just and fair political system, but it is not without its problems. It is impossible to imagine any system of government that is completely free from faults. Nonetheless, the benefits of democracy far outweigh any costs.
Many scholars have sought to justify democracy along at least two different dimensions: instrumentally, in terms of the benefits that can be derived from it compared with other methods of making political decisions; and intrinsically, by virtue of the moral values inherent in the method.
People’s assessments of democracy depend on their priorities. For example, in every country studied, those who say that their governments do a good job protecting their right to free speech are more satisfied with democracy than those who believe that their governments do not protect this right.
Despite the many challenges, the vast majority of the public believes that democracy is a good thing. This is perhaps most evident in the United States, where most people believe that democracy provides a good standard of living and high-quality education for their children. In this sense, the American experiment is perhaps the most successful demonstration of what a democracy can achieve. The question remains, however, whether other nations will follow in its footsteps.
Democracy is the system of government by which decisions about law and policy are made by a group of individuals who are elected to represent the views and interests of members of society. Democracy is based on the principle that people should have equal opportunities to advance their own interests, and that they ought to be able to see that others are doing so equally well. Democracy is also based on the recognition that human beings have highly fallible understandings of their own and other people’s interests, and that it is therefore necessary to involve them in a collective effort to promote the common good. Democracies may differ in how laws and policies are made, but they all share some important features. These include a commitment to equality, the opportunity for citizens to participate in decision making, and the guarantee of the rights of freedom of expression, assembly and association. These rights are essential for a healthy democracy and the effective pursuit of interests. The most basic form of democracy involves a one-person-one-vote system for electing representatives to parliament. This has been the norm in most of the world for over two centuries. More sophisticated forms involve a mix of direct and indirect methods for citizens to express their preferences, and are designed to increase the representation of minority viewpoints. Some also allow for proportional representation. Ultimately, the most important feature of democracy is the fact that citizens have an opportunity to choose their leaders. This gives them a powerful incentive to hold their representatives accountable for the policies they pursue and the results of their efforts. This accountability has served as a crucial check against corruption and tyranny throughout history, and is what makes democracy unique among political systems. In many ways, democracy is the most just and fair political system, but it is not without its problems. It is impossible to imagine any system of government that is completely free from faults. Nonetheless, the benefits of democracy far outweigh any costs. Many scholars have sought to justify democracy along at least two different dimensions: instrumentally, in terms of the benefits that can be derived from it compared with other methods of making political decisions; and intrinsically, by virtue of the moral values inherent in the method. People’s assessments of democracy depend on their priorities. For example, in every country studied, those who say that their governments do a good job protecting their right to free speech are more satisfied with democracy than those who believe that their governments do not protect this right. Despite the many challenges, the vast majority of the public believes that democracy is a good thing. This is perhaps most evident in the United States, where most people believe that democracy provides a good standard of living and high-quality education for their children. In this sense, the American experiment is perhaps the most successful demonstration of what a democracy can achieve. The question remains, however, whether other nations will follow in its footsteps.