The concept of democracy is not new. It has existed since 508 BC and credit goes to the ancient Greeks for introducing this political system into society.Democracy has its framework and fundamental principles which, over the years, have encountered different stages of development. As the multidisciplinary assessment of democracy has developed, it can empower more citizens and countries.Democracy was first implemented by the Greeks as a form of government where citizens are entitled to have free and fair elections. However, there are different forms of democracy based on governmental and non-governmental styles. Governmental democracy constitutes direct democracy and representative democracy. The non-governmental democracy includes non-governmental organizations and trade unions. There are also other variants such as constitutional monarchy, republic, liberal, socialist, sortition, anarchist, consensus, inclusive, cosmopolitan, guided, supranational, consociational, participatory, and creative democracy. Democracy is essentially not only for voting but is the foundation of equality, human rights, speech, liberty, minority rights, freedom of the press, and much more. There are 167 democratic countries, and 164 out of those 167 are members of the United Nations. Democratic governments are the direct contrast to governments that follow the autocratic system. Nevertheless, democracy has faced many criticisms due to its inefficiencies, political instability, and opposition.Meaning Of DemocracyDemocracy cannot have an outright definition. The general meaning of democracy refers to the form of government that has free and fair votes. The term was coined from two Greek words ‘Demos’ and ‘Kratos’. While ‘Demos’ refers to the people, ‘Kratos’ refers to rule or power. Abraham Lincoln defined democracy as a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. The ancient Greek city of Athens had its first democracy and within several years, other nations began embracing this political structure. The basic framework of democracy is based on the fundamentals of legitimacy, justice, freedom, and power.Legitimacy refers to an agreement to the rule or laws and the legitimate government has the authority to rule its people. This government is elected by a majority vote and most laws are made for the benefit of its citizens. The legitimacy of government is linked to justice as all citizens are supposed to be treated equally. If justice exists, then there has to be a place for liberty as citizens recognize the great freedom to make decisions that are not against any laws. Powers are defined and limited within a liberal democracy that balances its structures. As stated above, there are different types of democracies and the primary ones among them are direct democracy and representative democracy. In a direct democracy, there is no role of elected leaders as citizens make their own decisions. However, in representative democracy, the elected officials embody a group of people.Five Characteristics Of DemocracyThe characteristics of democracy depend on the type of democratic structure followed in the country. For example, under representative democracy, there is presidential democracy where the President is elected by the citizen votes. In a liberal democracy, the potential of the elected representatives to make decisions is subjected to the rule of law. Nevertheless, here are five characteristics of democracy.The primary characteristic is the freedom of the voters in a country to directly or indirectly elect their representatives or leaders. Next, are the regulations of majority rule and the right to individual freedoms. Democracies defend against all-powerful decentralized and centralized governments to local and regional levels. The citizens should have access to all levels of the government. The third aspect is that democracies should protect fundamental human rights and religion in society. The fourth should offer equal rights to all its citizens who can participate in the culture, economy, and politics of their society. The fifth characteristic is that democracies should be conducted based on free and fair elections, ensuring the participation of all the citizens who have attained a certain age limit.Value Of DemocracyTo understand the value of democracy, one needs to comprehend the need for democracy and what makes a democracy different from an autocracy. If we go down in history, to the 20th century, then we can find various aspects that democracy provides and traits that most countries may find desirable.Under the autocratic government, the citizens of the country are dominated. However, under a democratic government, the citizens enjoy freedom from oppression, which is essential in the current world. Democracy helps prevent war and prioritizes human liberties. The head is elected through the majority vote. Being a representative of the people, the primary objective of this head representative is to protect their fundamental interests. For example, the President of the United States is indirectly elected by the people, thus becoming a representative of the people. In a democracy, people have the freedom of speech and can form an opinion without any fear of autocracy. Even the press and mass media can act freely. Maximum opportunities are provided to the people and laws are equal for everyone. In a democracy, casting one’s vote has a crucial role to play.Democratic CountriesThere are 167 democratic countries in the world where voting is conducted freely and fairly. Every citizen of these countries is vested with the power to vote for their desirable representatives either directly or indirectly. The method of elections or the type of democracy may vary but what unites them are the fundamental characteristics. Some of the democratic countries are discussed below.The United States of America has presidential democracy and the President is elected through a direct vote. Besides America, this similar procedure is followed by other democracies such as Africa, Central Asian nations, and Southeast Asia. The parliamentary democracy is another type of representative democracy. Unlike presidential democracy, the government can be appointed or disposed of by the representatives and it can be done through a no-confidence motion. This type of representative democracy is followed in Asian countries such as India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Japan, Iraq, Malaysia, Nepal, Thailand, and more. In Europe, it is followed by Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Ireland, and more. In North and South America it exists in Canada, the Bahamas, Belize, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, Suriname, and others. South Africa, Botswana, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Mauritius. Besides, Australia, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, and Vanuatu also have a parliamentary democracy. There are a few countries that demonstrate direct democracies and Switzerland has the most detailed structure of direct democracy.Did You Know…Although the history and origin of democracy are attributed to Greece, the world’s largest democracy is India, with one-sixth of the global population.The world’s youngest democracy is in Bhutan, as their first democratic elections commenced in 2007, and all grades of the government were democratically elected by 2011.The age of voters varies in different countries. In the United States it is 18, while in many South American countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Austria, and Cuba, it is 16.The richest countries in the world are said to have democratic governments.
The concept of democracy is not new. It has existed since 508 BC and credit goes to the ancient Greeks for introducing this political system into society.
