Democracy
Democracy is a system of government in which power is vested in the people, who exercise it directly or through elected representatives. It emphasizes the principles of political equality, majority rule, and protection of individual rights. Key features include free and fair elections, the rule of law, and respect for civil liberties and human rights.
6 Key excerpts on "Democracy"
eBook - ePubDemocracy and Democratization
Processes and Prospects in a Changing World, Third Edition
- Georg Sorensen(Author)
- 2018(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...But in the short- to medium run there may be discrepancies between the two. It is important to be aware of these discrepancies in overall assessments of Democracy. Conclusion Democracy means rule by the people. A more precise definition is difficult to formulate because Democracy is a dynamic entity that has acquired different meanings over the course of time. Much of this dynamic comes from changes in society and from the different interpretations by analysts of the consequences of these changes for Democracy. As societies develop in different ways in today’s world, it is not surprising that the meaning of Democracy continues to be the subject of debate. Yet for analytical purposes we need to develop a concept that clearly identifies what Democracy essentially is. The core of political Democracy has three dimensions: competition, participation, and civil and political liberties. When we study the status of Democracy in a specific country, the first step is to look for these three elements. In this context it is helpful to consult one of the indices on Democracy (e.g., the Freedom House index), bearing in mind that such overall measurements are imprecise and tentative. In order to make a comprehensive assessment of Democracy, one must carefully scrutinize the individual country as well because democratic systems vary greatly in their institutional patterns and along other dimensions. Socioeconomic conditions also affect the quality of Democracy. Finally, it is necessary to be aware of the international setting above and the local conditions below the level of national government. It can be argued that this procedure is too comprehensive and requires analysis of “everything.” It is true that all of these stages are seldom completed. The discussion in the present volume is limited to the transition from authoritarian rule to political Democracy and to the consequences of Democracy...
eBook - ePubExperts and the Will of the People
Society, Populism and Science
- Harry Collins, Robert Evans, Darrin Durant, Martin Weinel(Authors)
- 2019(Publication Date)
- Palgrave Pivot(Publisher)
...The solution to Western Democracy’s problems must be a rethinking of the way Democracy is regulated so as to alleviate the grotesque inequalities to which it has given rise, not the abandonment of moderation and pluralism in the name of still more ‘rule by the people’. Introduction Democracy in its broadest sense involves rule by the many. ‘Democracy is an ideal of persons working together in the context of political procedures that treat them as equals … It conveys an ideal for a political system, one that regulates the formal allocation of political authority’. 1 But what it is to treat people as equals, and what is entailed for a political system, and how that political system regulates political authority, has generated a variety of answers. For example, does treating people as equals mean striving to equalize their opportunities or attempting to make outcomes equal for all? When the political system represents the people, is the people’s rule being expressed every few years in elections or should there be a continual stream of votes on every specific issue? Should a Democracy strive to allow the people as much direct and continuous influence on the process of government or a more indirect power over a set of decision-making representatives or institutions? 2 In turn, there are many ways of executing each of these choices. The City State The term Democracy comes from the Greek demokratia demos (people) and kratos (rule), and sixth century BC Athens is generally taken as the model. In Athens the power of the ruling (wealthy) families was shifted towards the citizens by allowing them to participate in deliberations and vote on decisions. Athens, however, placed restriction on who counted as a citizen. 3 Women, slaves and foreigners could not vote, which probably excluded about three-quarters of the population...
- Peter Joyce(Author)
- 2015(Publication Date)
- Teach Yourself(Publisher)
...It was necessary, therefore, to invent a political system through which the notion of popular sovereignty could be reconciled with an effective decision-making process. We term such a political system ‘liberal Democracy’. It has two fundamental characteristics. Government is ‘liberal’ in terms of the core values which underpin it and ‘democratic’ concerning the political arrangements that exist within it. There are many definitions of Democracy. It has been asserted that ‘Democracy is direct self-government over all the people, for all the people, by all the people’ (Parker, 1858). These words were subsequently repeated by President Lincoln in a speech delivered following the Civil War Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. Parker, T. (1858) sermon delivered in Boston, Massachusetts July 4 entitled ‘The Effect of Slavery on the American People’. Cited in Quote / Counter Quote. [Online] http://www.quotecounterquote.com/2010/11/government-of-people-by-people-for.html [Accessed 11 May 2014]. LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL SYSTEMS Key idea (3) In a liberal democratic political system, governments function in the name of the people and are ultimately accountable to them for the actions that they undertake. A political system consists of the formal and informal processes through which demands are put forward and decisions are made. The term ‘system’ implies that the component parts that shape decision making form part of an integrated structure. The stability of this structure is secured by the actions undertaken by governments broadly matching the demands placed upon it by public opinion, however this is articulated. If this fails to be the case, disequilibrium may occur in which demands outstrip a government’s willingness or ability to match them. This may result in revolution. As we argued above, several forms of political systems exist throughout the world, a key distinction concerning the allocation of power...
- Gordon Crawford, Gabrielle Lynch(Authors)
- 2013(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...Besides support for elections, the narrow electoral approach, policies for the promotion of Democracy have broadened during the last 15 years. Democracy promoters now tend to support a range of government institutions, NGOs and civil society actors, the media, and political parties. But none of the policies really address the institutional concentration of political power that influences the functioning of these institutions. The EU approach to Democracy promotion policies in Africa, for example, combines a focus on elections with a broader approach of developing social and human rights and good governance. In a peer review of the EU’S role in Democracy promotion published by IDEA, however, partner organizations criticize the EU’s ‘narrow understanding of Democracy’ and a disproportionate focus on civil society, elections and human rights. Democracy, in the view of these partners, ‘must not simply be equated with human rights but must also deliver in the broader sense’. Partner organizations thus see EU policies as overly focused on procedural Democracy, that is, elections and the freedoms required by it. 46 Arguably, the EU’s emphasis on political and civil rights actually attests to the recognition that liberal, and not just electoral or procedural Democracy is aimed for, and the critique of such partners reflects their concern with more substantive concerns, such as the question whether Democracy also ‘delivers’ for the poor. In another criticism, it is argued that European Democracy promotion is not directed at broad systemic-level political change. 47 I would subsume under the latter, besides power relations, core institutional issues in liberal Democracy. Democracy promotion policies by bilateral governments also tend to suffer from the somewhat contradictory combination of narrowness and breadth...
eBook - ePubLiberal Peace
Selected Essays
- Michael Doyle(Author)
- 2011(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...5 The voice of the people Political theorists on the international implications of Democracy 1 There appears to be a growing impression that step by step with the increase in domestic civil rights and popular self-government, the prospects for international peace improve. The spread of popular government and the growth of civil society in Eastern Europe and (with fits and starts) the former Soviet Union seem to many thus not only to herald but also to cause the radical reduction of international tensions in Europe and the wider world. In the popular press, the notion seemed so widespread that The Economist (ever a dasher of cold water on popular optimisms) felt that the spirit of the day called for a rebuttal. 2 Prominent political leaders have clearly contributed to this perception. For example, in a speech before the British parliament in June of 1982, President Reagan proclaimed that governments founded on a respect for individual liberty exercise “restraint” and “peaceful intentions” in their foreign policy. (He then announced a “crusade for freedom” and a “campaign for democratic development”.) 3 President Bush, similarly, on 1 October 1990, in an address before the United Nations General Assembly, declared: “Calls for Democracy and human rights are being reborn everywhere. And these calls are an expression of support for the values enshrined in the Charter. They encourage our hopes for a more stable, more peaceful, more prosperous world.” 4 In his 1991 UN Address (“Pax Universalis”, 23 September 1991) he stated equally unequivocally: “As Democracy flourishes, so does the opportunity for a third historical breakthrough: international cooperation.” 5 The Cold War is over. President Yeltsin has explicitly declared that he (also the Russians?) no longer regards the United States as an enemy and no longer targets missiles in our direction. 6 President Bush celebrated victory – by “the Grace of God” – in the 1992 State of the Union Address in the name of the “G.I...
eBook - ePubThe Right to Democracy in International Law
Between Procedure, Substance and the Philosophy of John Rawls
- Khalifa A Alfadhel(Author)
- 2016(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...The focus will be on the limitation of the right to citizens, in contrast to other fundamental rights and freedoms, which are given to every individual on a universal basis. The concentration will be then shifted to the rights to vote and to be elected with reference to the relevant jurisprudence of the HRC in that respect. This section will provide a full illustration on how the rights involved provide a thin and limited understanding of a right to Democracy, restricting it to the conduct of a number of electoral procedures on a periodic basis. Article 25 of the Covenant provides: Every citizen shall have the right and the opportunity, without any of the distinctions mentioned in article 2 and without unreasonable restrictions: (a) To take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives; (b) To vote and to be elected at genuine periodic elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the electors; (c) To have access, on general terms of equality, to public service in his country. Although the text did not explicitly refer to the term Democracy and limited its terminology to the abstract notion of the right to political participation, the HRC clearly endorsed a minimalist view to the right to Democracy...
