What is Democracy?
Democracy is all about freedom, but it also requires compromise and understanding. Citizens must be willing to share power, listen to opposing points of view and contribute to society through taxes, voting and respect for one another. Governments must be transparent and accountable, and laws should protect people’s rights, provide economic opportunities and ensure safety.
In the end, it is up to citizens to decide whether democracy works for them and to work to make it better. They can do this by voting, protesting and running for office – all ways that citizens can take part in democratic politics. Democracy is a long-term project that must be continually reformed and renewed. And if we are not careful, democracy will fail.
Democracy is usually understood as a form of government in which citizens elect their representatives, but the term has a much wider meaning. Democracies exist in every region of the world, and each has its own unique characteristics. However, all of them share certain fundamental principles. Democracy rests on a foundation of fundamental principles and institutions that protect basic human rights and freedoms.
The concept of democracy was born in ancient Greece, with the city-state of Athens as a model. The word is derived from two Greek words: demos, meaning the people, and kratia, meaning rule or governance. The ancient Athenians believed that all men and women should have the right to participate in political decisions, and they established the world’s first direct democracy. The principle that the people should be able to directly choose their leaders was the basis for later democracies in Europe and Asia, as well as for the American form of government.
A democracy is based on the principle that the people are sovereign, and they should have the right to govern themselves through regular, free and fair elections, open to all. The principle that all people have equal rights before the law is a central tenet of democracy, and the protection of human rights and civil liberties is a key task of all democracies.
The public’s views about democracy are closely linked to the way in which a nation’s economy is functioning and the extent to which people feel their most fundamental freedoms are protected. For example, in all nations studied, people are more dissatisfied with democracy if they believe that the rights of those who disagree with them to express their views publicly are not being protected. People’s attitudes are also influenced by their perceptions of how effective democracy is at providing economic opportunity, ensuring security and protecting the environment. All of these factors point to a need for reform in many democracies. However, the overall assessment of democracy is that it provides a good standard of living for most people. It also offers them greater freedom to live their lives and pursue their own interests, within the limits of laws that protect people’s rights. This is why so many people worldwide want to see democracy strengthened and maintained.
Democracy is all about freedom, but it also requires compromise and understanding. Citizens must be willing to share power, listen to opposing points of view and contribute to society through taxes, voting and respect for one another. Governments must be transparent and accountable, and laws should protect people’s rights, provide economic opportunities and ensure safety. In the end, it is up to citizens to decide whether democracy works for them and to work to make it better. They can do this by voting, protesting and running for office – all ways that citizens can take part in democratic politics. Democracy is a long-term project that must be continually reformed and renewed. And if we are not careful, democracy will fail. Democracy is usually understood as a form of government in which citizens elect their representatives, but the term has a much wider meaning. Democracies exist in every region of the world, and each has its own unique characteristics. However, all of them share certain fundamental principles. Democracy rests on a foundation of fundamental principles and institutions that protect basic human rights and freedoms. The concept of democracy was born in ancient Greece, with the city-state of Athens as a model. The word is derived from two Greek words: demos, meaning the people, and kratia, meaning rule or governance. The ancient Athenians believed that all men and women should have the right to participate in political decisions, and they established the world’s first direct democracy. The principle that the people should be able to directly choose their leaders was the basis for later democracies in Europe and Asia, as well as for the American form of government. A democracy is based on the principle that the people are sovereign, and they should have the right to govern themselves through regular, free and fair elections, open to all. The principle that all people have equal rights before the law is a central tenet of democracy, and the protection of human rights and civil liberties is a key task of all democracies. The public’s views about democracy are closely linked to the way in which a nation’s economy is functioning and the extent to which people feel their most fundamental freedoms are protected. For example, in all nations studied, people are more dissatisfied with democracy if they believe that the rights of those who disagree with them to express their views publicly are not being protected. People’s attitudes are also influenced by their perceptions of how effective democracy is at providing economic opportunity, ensuring security and protecting the environment. All of these factors point to a need for reform in many democracies. However, the overall assessment of democracy is that it provides a good standard of living for most people. It also offers them greater freedom to live their lives and pursue their own interests, within the limits of laws that protect people’s rights. This is why so many people worldwide want to see democracy strengthened and maintained.