What Is Democracy?
Democracy is a political system that gives the majority of citizens the power to elect the leaders and policies that govern them. It also ensures that people have freedom of speech, movement and belief, as well as the right to a fair trial in the face of accusations of wrongdoing. It places limits on the powers of government officials and agencies, which are not allowed to use their position to enrich themselves or harm others. Laws are formulated by and enforced by independent commissions, and no one, not even the king or minister can override a court decision. People are free to criticize their elected representatives and the decisions of the government, but they are not allowed to use violence against them.
Democracy requires a lot of effort from everyone involved. It takes time to organize elections that are free of corruption, intimidation or violence, and it takes a lot of training for the political parties, electoral officials and civil society groups who oversee the process. There needs to be independent media coverage, and laws must be clear, well-written and protect the rights of all citizens, including the rights of minorities and disadvantaged groups.
It also takes a lot of work to monitor and punish corruption and other wrongdoing in the government. And it takes a lot of public education to get people used to the idea that they have a responsibility to hold their leaders and politicians accountable for their actions, not only in terms of the policies they make but also in how they behave. The growth of democracy over the past quarter century has been one of the United States’ greatest foreign policy legacies. It will continue to be a priority until all countries have the opportunity to choose their leaders and govern themselves through free, fair and transparent elections.
There are two ways to justify democracy: instrumentally, by comparing the outcomes of democracies with those of other types of government, and intrinsically, through values that democracy is supposed to embody. In instrumental terms, democracy has been shown to do better than dictatorships, military juntas and monarchies in delivering economic growth, human rights, and good governance.
In intrinsic terms, many argue that democracy is a better form of government because it improves the character of citizens. By giving them a share of control over political decision making, it encourages them to take more responsibility for their lives and communities. It cultivates a more active, rather than passive, character.
But not everyone believes that democracy is the only way to go, and it seems that more and more Americans are turning against their own democratic system. A series of 2023 polls has found that a growing number of people think that democracy doesn’t work, and that it would be better to explore alternative forms of government. This could be dangerous. A society that does not believe in democracy will not be able to defend it against its enemies.
Democracy is a political system that gives the majority of citizens the power to elect the leaders and policies that govern them. It also ensures that people have freedom of speech, movement and belief, as well as the right to a fair trial in the face of accusations of wrongdoing. It places limits on the powers of government officials and agencies, which are not allowed to use their position to enrich themselves or harm others. Laws are formulated by and enforced by independent commissions, and no one, not even the king or minister can override a court decision. People are free to criticize their elected representatives and the decisions of the government, but they are not allowed to use violence against them. Democracy requires a lot of effort from everyone involved. It takes time to organize elections that are free of corruption, intimidation or violence, and it takes a lot of training for the political parties, electoral officials and civil society groups who oversee the process. There needs to be independent media coverage, and laws must be clear, well-written and protect the rights of all citizens, including the rights of minorities and disadvantaged groups. It also takes a lot of work to monitor and punish corruption and other wrongdoing in the government. And it takes a lot of public education to get people used to the idea that they have a responsibility to hold their leaders and politicians accountable for their actions, not only in terms of the policies they make but also in how they behave. The growth of democracy over the past quarter century has been one of the United States’ greatest foreign policy legacies. It will continue to be a priority until all countries have the opportunity to choose their leaders and govern themselves through free, fair and transparent elections. There are two ways to justify democracy: instrumentally, by comparing the outcomes of democracies with those of other types of government, and intrinsically, through values that democracy is supposed to embody. In instrumental terms, democracy has been shown to do better than dictatorships, military juntas and monarchies in delivering economic growth, human rights, and good governance. In intrinsic terms, many argue that democracy is a better form of government because it improves the character of citizens. By giving them a share of control over political decision making, it encourages them to take more responsibility for their lives and communities. It cultivates a more active, rather than passive, character. But not everyone believes that democracy is the only way to go, and it seems that more and more Americans are turning against their own democratic system. A series of 2023 polls has found that a growing number of people think that democracy doesn’t work, and that it would be better to explore alternative forms of government. This could be dangerous. A society that does not believe in democracy will not be able to defend it against its enemies.