What is Democracy?
The word democracy combines the Greek words demos (“people”) and kratos (rule). It began appearing in Greek city-states, including Classical Athens, during the 5th century BC to denote a political system whereby citizens exercise power directly or through freely elected representatives. Democracies around the world today offer people a variety of opportunities to take part in government, whether by voting, participating in protests or running for office.
Democracy aims to make sure that governments work for the people and protect their rights. It promotes freedom of speech and movement, respect for the dignity of all people, equal treatment under the law, free elections, and the separation of powers between parliament, governance and justice institutions. It requires that laws are clear, fair and properly enforced, with independent courts and commissions. It also requires that officials cannot use their positions to enrich themselves or impose their views on others. It prohibits torture and other cruel and inhumane treatment.
Despite these challenges, democracy offers people a powerful way to hold their leaders accountable and shape their country’s future. It has inspired some of history’s most important expressions of human will and intellect, from Pericles in ancient Athens to Vaclav Havel in modern Czechoslovakia. And it is a concept that many people across the globe have come to cherish and support.
To help students consider what democracy means, organize them into small groups of 3-4 and give each group a copy of the Student Backgrounder – What is Democracy? (Appendix B). In their groups, students will begin to fill in the different sections of the Frayer model as they explore more deeply what democracy is. They should try to reach a consensus within their groups, but they may need to use discussion and debate strategies in order to do so. Once their group has reached a definition of democracy, they should share it with the rest of the class and decide if it needs to be revised in light of what the whole class agrees on.
Once they have a definition, ask the students to place it in a visible spot in the classroom. They should refer to it regularly as they participate in civic life, ensuring that they are familiar with the key elements of democracy and that they continue to reflect on how they can strengthen their democratic societies.
A healthy democracy requires compromise and understanding. It needs a strong and enduring citizenry that contributes through taxes, voting and engagement with society, as well as respect for one another. It needs a government that delivers on its promises and is trustworthy, especially during challenging times. It needs a system that recognizes the importance of protecting racial and ethnic minorities, women, indigenous populations, LGBTQ people and immigrants. It also needs a government that supports economic growth and opportunity while providing affordable health care, education and other vital services.
The word democracy combines the Greek words demos (“people”) and kratos (rule). It began appearing in Greek city-states, including Classical Athens, during the 5th century BC to denote a political system whereby citizens exercise power directly or through freely elected representatives. Democracies around the world today offer people a variety of opportunities to take part in government, whether by voting, participating in protests or running for office. Democracy aims to make sure that governments work for the people and protect their rights. It promotes freedom of speech and movement, respect for the dignity of all people, equal treatment under the law, free elections, and the separation of powers between parliament, governance and justice institutions. It requires that laws are clear, fair and properly enforced, with independent courts and commissions. It also requires that officials cannot use their positions to enrich themselves or impose their views on others. It prohibits torture and other cruel and inhumane treatment. Despite these challenges, democracy offers people a powerful way to hold their leaders accountable and shape their country’s future. It has inspired some of history’s most important expressions of human will and intellect, from Pericles in ancient Athens to Vaclav Havel in modern Czechoslovakia. And it is a concept that many people across the globe have come to cherish and support. To help students consider what democracy means, organize them into small groups of 3-4 and give each group a copy of the Student Backgrounder – What is Democracy? (Appendix B). In their groups, students will begin to fill in the different sections of the Frayer model as they explore more deeply what democracy is. They should try to reach a consensus within their groups, but they may need to use discussion and debate strategies in order to do so. Once their group has reached a definition of democracy, they should share it with the rest of the class and decide if it needs to be revised in light of what the whole class agrees on. Once they have a definition, ask the students to place it in a visible spot in the classroom. They should refer to it regularly as they participate in civic life, ensuring that they are familiar with the key elements of democracy and that they continue to reflect on how they can strengthen their democratic societies. A healthy democracy requires compromise and understanding. It needs a strong and enduring citizenry that contributes through taxes, voting and engagement with society, as well as respect for one another. It needs a government that delivers on its promises and is trustworthy, especially during challenging times. It needs a system that recognizes the importance of protecting racial and ethnic minorities, women, indigenous populations, LGBTQ people and immigrants. It also needs a government that supports economic growth and opportunity while providing affordable health care, education and other vital services.