Democracy, as a word, has many interpretations. Communist countries define themselves as economic democracies. Clearly the opposite is true due to the definition that the Founding Fathers of The United States used. Democracy is defined as having five key characteristics. These principles are the following: majority rule, equality, liberty, necessity of compromise, and individual worth. Majority rule, principle number one, can be broken down into two distinct categories, popular majority and representative majority. Popular majority, in its root definition, means that the majority of all the citizens or all voters are taken into account in the election of governmental offices. The second type of majority rule is representative majority. This
Jefferson’s democracy is sometimes referred to as capitalized and was one of the dominant movements and outlooks in the United States in 1790s to 18220s. Popularized by Thomas Jefferson, this democracy advocated for a political system that favored free voting, free press, public education, limited government and discouraged aristocratic rule. Further, it emphasized on the strict interpretation and implementation of the constitution as well as embracing agrarian democracy that opted to give power to those who fought for independence. He supported the strengthening of the states as he believed in a devolved system that decentralizes power to ensure citizens benefit more. Finally, Jefferson believed in equality popularized by the quote, “all men
Pericles , a famous Greek statesman once wrote a document called the Funeral oration (document 3) in which he describes what a democracy. This is the form of government which was instated during the Ancient Greek civilizations and is instated in the (modern-day) the United States. Democracy is made for the majority and not the minority. It is not based on the few leading, rather everyone gets a voice in society. It gives
According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Democracy is defined as a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections. This definition is accurate in
Democracy, as it is used today, means “ the people rule.” A democracy is a form of government ruled by the people of the country through elections and representation. A democracy is really a form of republic known as a democratic republic. A republic is a government where officials elected by a small group of people that make the important decisions.
What is democracy? Political scientists argue that there are three major tenets of a democratic government: popular sovereignty, equality, and liberty. Popular Sovereignty uses direct democracy; power of the people; self-determination; autonomy. Equality: values the contributions of women just as those of men; Equal
Democracy means to rule by the people. This means that the people make their own laws, follow their own rules and overall control themselves rather than the government controlling them. It also has to do with giving “equal justice to all”. Although, it does all revolve around men. Only men are allowed to vote and do nearly whatever they please.
A democracy is a government by the people, in which the power is vested in the people themselves. The people then elect representatives who conduct their power in a free electoral system. The Declaration of Independence, which says that all men are created equal, was written on the premise of a democracy.
Democracy is defined as “A system of government in which ultimate political authority is vested in the People.” The Declaration’s
The official definition of democracy is a system of selecting policymakers and organizing government so that policy represents and responds to the peoples preferences. With that in mind, I would say overall, America encompasses the spirit of democracy by obeying majority rule, giving every citizen one equal vote, and by passing impactful legislation that caters to the American people. But our government is not perfect when executing democratic decisions. Some of the decisions or policy passed by the government is not always motivated for or driven by the people, but instead privileged elites. Another crucial issue the decreasing participation the country shows when it involves voting on representatives like our President. These problems are
An issue with the concept and philosophy of democracy is that idea in which is theorized to uphold can sometimes contradict themselves. Democracy in itself cannot be definitely defined, but instead is left up to interpretation by many philosophers and theorists, all of whom have wildly varying convictions of how an actual democracy should function. The ideals in which one person might claim to the be fundamental basics of their version of a democracy could also the Achilles heel in their defense against it. There is no constant in democracy, but some arguments do provide a reasonable justification to what they claim to be a democracy. Some interpretations are better than others, some can defend themselves
Democracy originating from the Greek word ‘dēmokratía’ literally means ‘rule of the people’. ‘In an oligarchy the standard of definition is wealth… in a democracy the standard of distribution is citizenship.’ (Burns, T 2009). This suggests that people are at the centre of political power in a true democracy. Democracy is the form of government which allows people to have their say either directly through voting and referendums or indirectly by voting for elected representatives to stand for them in deliberative chambers to propose, develop and establish laws and statute by which their society is ran. ‘democracy is the worst form of Government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time; but there is the broad feeling in our country that the people should rule, continuously rule, and that public opinion, expressed by all constitutional means, should shape, guide, and control the actions of Ministers who are their servants and not their masters.’ (Churchill, W 1947)
Democracy relates to a political system that equates to one person holding one single vote in the decision-making process. As a political system, its proponents deem it as a fair and just way as the whims of the majority are preferred over the desires of the few. It becomes necessary to comprehend how democracy works to be able to effectively understand the principles and assumptions behind it. Majority of the countries in the world relate to a democratic system with differing variations depending on the resident country’s constitution. However the basic premise is that people in a country vote for their preferred candidate and the one with the most votes becomes the leader of the particular country. It is the same
Russett (1996) defines democracy for modern states ‘democracy is usually identified with voting franchise for a substantial fraction of citizens, a government brought to power in contested elections, an executive either popularly elected or responsible to an elected legislature, often with civil liberties such as free speech.
There are many different interpretations of Democracy around the world. An absolute scientific definition is hard to compile, as each persons definition of democracy is based on how it affects them directly. Democracy, unlike Dictatorship, has stood the test of time as the fairest, most inclusive form of Government. The happiest people in the World live in democracies. With it’s faults, it is the best option available to nations around the world.
Democracy is the form of government that can fulfill the needs of men in a society. Other philosophers may feel that man needs a master to govern a society. In truth, all men are created equal. If a single man or a selected group of people were to rule a society, there is a chance that they will abuse their powers. A democratic government implements a system of checks and balances to ensure that power isn’t abused. Democracy works for the people and implies that everyone in society can be free under the laws established.