Democracy A Democratic Society Essay - 1601 Words

Democracy can be defined as government that exist for the people in which the supreme power is vested in the people. There are certain fundamental characteristics, principals, and values that should be held within a democracy. Popular sovereignty establishes the people as the ultimate source of authority of the government and their sovereignties should be reflected through the political system. There should be institutional and procedural limitation on government power. This includes the separation and sharing of powers between different branches of government, checks and balances, due process of law, and leadership succession through elections. Another value that should be held by a democratic society is the protection of individual freedoms which includes personal freedom, political freedom, and economic freedom. One of the primary objectives of a democratic government should be to protect basic human rights. One personal freedom found in a democratic society is freedom of religion . This provides citizens the right to worship alone or with others, in public or private, or not to worship at all, and to participate in religious observance, practice, and teaching without fear of persecution. Another right for citizens in a democratic society is the freedom of opinion and expression which gives everyone the right to their own opinion and the right to search for, gather, and convey information and ideas through the media. Freedom of association gives individuals the right toShow MoreRelatedDemocracy1022 Words   |  5 PagesNormative democratic theory deals with the moral foundations of democracy and democratic institutions. It is distinct from descriptive and explanatory democratic theory. It does not offer in the first instance a scientific study of those societies that are called democratic. It aims to provide an account of when and why democracy is morally desirable as well as moral principles for guiding the design of democratic institutions. Of course, norm ative democratic theory is inherently interdisciplinaryRead MoreCompetitive Authoritarianism And Political Authoritarianism869 Words   |  4 Pages1. competitive authoritarianism competitive authoritarianism Levitsky and Way describe, a competitive authoritarianism is, in essence, a democracy but it lacks proportional representation and most of the elections and government institutions are predisposed to only the elites. Juan Linz describes this as a diminished form of authoritarianism. In competitive authoritarianism regimes, elections are normally rigged, power figures regularly misuse state resources while oppressed are denied simple libertiesRead MoreThe changing of Democracy Essay1124 Words   |  5 Pagescultures have evolved, the ideas of government and democracy have evolved as well. The economic and cultural status of a time period affects how people perceive their government. Living in a capitalist nation does not necessarily mean that democracy is non-existent. However, it does not mean that democracy in the nation has been fully formed and developed. The capitalist economy is altering the beliefs of what it means to be a democratic nation. Democracy gives power to the people. However, culturalRead MoreLinz and Stepan Consolidated Democracy Study Guide and Notes906 Words   |  4 PagesTowards Consolidated Democracies Linz and Stepan * Three conditions before speaking about democratic consolidation * First†¦no state=no democracy * Second†¦.democracy cannot be thought of as consolidated until a democratic transition has been brought to completion * Necessary but by no means sufficient condition for the completion of a democratic transition is the holding of free and contested elections (on the basis of broadly inclusive voter eligibility) that meetRead MoreDemocracy in the 20th Centuries Essay1446 Words   |  6 PagesIs democracy possible? Modern democracies have continually developed throughout the 20th century. These democracies have culminated from revolutions,wars, and even economic development. As democracies continue to grow democracy promotion has been a key issue for world governments, especially the United State of America. History has shown that building democracy is a very strenuous and a difficult task to accomplish. With the inception of government, democracy has been a seemingly difficult conceptRead MorePhilosophy and Democracy1681 Words   |  7 Pages1. RONALD DWORKIN: According to Dworkin, democracy is an egalitarian perception to political equality (). Dworkin argues for a substantive approach to democratic procedure; in effort to secure an equal distribution of political power to citizens as a whole (9; 117). Dworkin’s consequential approach classifies two types of political decisions: â€Å"choice-sensitive† and â€Å"choice-insensitive† issues (132). Dworkin defines choice-sensitive issues in terms of justice that: â€Å"depends essentially on characterRead MoreDefinition Of Democracy And Governance1586 Words   |  7 Pagesservices regarding peripheral society. Local government and democracy is most closed concept in theory as well as practice. Term â€Å"democracy and governance† are complicated and dynamic concepts in social sciences discipline. It has a long historical background and goes back to human history. Ancient Athens politics and their philosophy has provided main base for those concepts and practi cal perspectives. There is no a concrete definition or interpretation about democracy or governance. Many scholarsRead MoreIndia s Survival Of Democracy871 Words   |  4 Pagesliteracy and scarcity of resource, the survival of democracy becomes difficult and eventually fails. India is a country with all these problems, however, it still manages to be democratic, making the survival of democracy in India a unique outcome and an area of study. The endurance of democracy in India may be explained through reasons like how it has a constitution that is inclusive, its middle class that takes deep pride in India being democratic and the electronic media that not only informs, butRead MoreBest Route for Economic Development for Poor Countries1724 Words   |  7 PagesWhether liberal democracy, illiberal democracy or authoritarian rule is the best route to economic development for low income countries Introduction Democracy and economic development are two concepts that were not related initially, however, with the rise of democracies and the subsequent economic development there is an established correlation between the two concepts. The question that this paper will seek to address is â€Å"which is the best regime for economic development†. In responding tothisRead MoreDemocratic And Democratic Political Systems Essay1740 Words   |  7 PagesDemocratic Political Systems Democracy is typically known as a type of government that is ruled by the people. Active public participation in political matters, free and fair elections, equality, and protection of basic human rights are at the core of democratic political systems. Individual citizens, organized groups and institutions, elected officials and governmental bureaucracies all contribute to the democratic nature of these political systems, but the main power resides with the people.