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Democracy

In the dictionary definition, democracy “is government by the people in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.”

In the words of Abraham Lincoln, democracy is a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” There is no clear – cut, universal definition of democracy. Most definitions of democracy focus on qualities, procedures, and institutions. There are many types of democracy and their varied practices produce similarly varied effects.

Democracy comes from the Greek words demos meaning ‘People’ and kratos meaning ‘authority’ or ‘power.’

Prerequisites of Democracy

With an upsurge in the number of democracies holding free and fair elections and declaring themselves democratic states, some theorists have developed a set of minimum requirements. Elections on their own do not make a country democratic. The following list of minimum requirements has been extracted by a study of democracies and by reading various theories of democracy. It provides both a good overview of what democracy means and a standard against which to test whether or not a country is democratic.

1. Control over government decisions about policy constitutionally vested in elected representatives.

2. Elected representatives chosen in frequent and fair elections.

3. Elected representatives exercise their constitutional powers.

4. All adults have the right to vote in elections.

5. All adults have the right to run for public office.

6. Citizens have the right to express themselves on political matters, defined broadly, without the risk of state punishment.

7. Citizens have the right to seek out alternative sources of information, such as the news media, and such sources are protected by law.

8. Citizens have the right to form independent associations and organizations, including independent political parties and interest groups.

9. Government is autonomous and able to act independently from outside constraints (such as those imposed by alliances and blocs).

If any of those conditions is not present, political scientists argue that the country is not truly a democracy.