How is democracy best described

Another well-known example of early democracy was the Roman Republic. Again, only adult male citizens were eligible to participate. Italy continued the tradition in a few of its medieval city-based republics. Venice, and Florence particularly, had governmental systems that included political participation by the people, if in a limited way.

Democracy also found its way into monarchical European states through the concept of the parliament , which was a council that advised the monarch. For the most part, only those who already had power could participate in parliaments, though Sweden allowed peasants to participate in its council the Riksdag starting in the 15th century.

The Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries brought a greater questioning of established authority to mainstream philosophy and discourse. This trend had a strong impact on the fledgling United States, which, when it won its independence from Great Britain in , set up a system of representative democracy to represent its people.

France was also impacted by this model. It was not until the 20th century that universal or broader suffrage , or the right to vote, was extended in most countries, and it was in the 20th century that democracy spread.

By the beginning of the 21st century, almost half of the countries of the world had some variety of democratic or near -democratic system. Types of democracies are classified according to various distinguishing features, including constitutional democracy , democratic socialism , Jeffersonian democracy , liberal democracy , parliamentary democracy , or presidential democracy , to name a few. Democracy is also used for non-governmental organizational systems, such as a workplace democracy , which applies democratic principles in professional contexts.

An advocate of democracy or democratic values is called a democrat , not to be confused with a member of the U. Democratic party. This mode of government is time-consuming and it is impossible for large populations to meet every time a decision has to be made. Therefore, the step from direct democracy in which people vote directly on issues to representative democracy in which the people vote for representatives or politicians who make decisions on their behalf was inevitable as larger and more diverse societies established democracies.

Democracy exists to provide a way for people to live and be together in a way that is beneficial to all. Although many of today's democracies may not have existed before the Second World War, there are for a form of governance in most traditional societies where the ideals in which most people believed guide rulers and communities in the way decisions and rules were made, and in the way members of the society were treated and lived together. Democracy is reportedly, a concept alien to Africa, a claim that rests on the confusion between the principles of democracy and their institutional manifestations.

The principles of democracy include widespread participation, consent of the governed and public accountability of those in power--principles that permeated traditional African political systems. The political transition to a democratic state as well as the restructuring needed such as voting and elections, the constitution, and an independent judiciary may be overwhelming for new citizens.

For this reason, focusing on people's own experience will be a useful means to getting people to have a practical and common understanding of democracy. Educators who teach citizens about democracy should encourage people to express their views on the values that already exist in the way people interact with each other in communities in their everyday lives. From this collection of values the educator will be able to come up with a "custom-made" set of aspirations for and values underpinning democracy.

This will form a usable basis from which to explore the form of governance that exists in their country and the extent to which it can be defined as democratic. Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives. The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections.

The election shall be held by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or the equivalent free voting procedures. Voting is one of the mechanisms that guides a democratic state and keeps its leaders on track,. It serves to let the leadership know how they have performed. During elections, citizens vote for the candidate of their choice. The word democracy can refer to this same kind of representational government, or it can refer instead to what is also called a direct democracy , in which the citizens themselves participate in the act of governing directly.

The word democracy most often refers to a form of government in which people choose leaders by voting. A democratic system of government is a form of government in which supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodic free elections.

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'democracy. Send us feedback.

See more words from the same year. Lookups for 'democracy' spiked after The Washington Post unveiled its new slogan. Accessed 13 Nov. More Definitions for democracy. Nglish: Translation of democracy for Spanish Speakers. Britannica English: Translation of democracy for Arabic Speakers. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

People get the chance to vote on the key issues affecting their country or can elect representatives to make these decisions. In the USA, the federal government allows members of each state to elect an official representative for their state to protect their interests at a higher government level.

Promoting equality. One principle of democracy is that all people are equal in the eyes of the law, and every person gets a vote. For example, Canada has a universal franchise decree in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which explicitly allows every citizen of Canada the right to vote in any Canadian election.

Preventing abuse of power. In democracies, people in authority are usually elected by people who vote them in. They are therefore responsible for carrying out the will of those who elected them.

Creating stability. Democracies have rules and laws that provide stability and protect human rights see our guide on Understanding human rights to find out more. Democratic governments have time to make changes that are in the interests of everyone. What are the problems with democracy?

Some of the most common complaints about democracy include: Not everyone exercises their right to vote. In some countries, like Australia, voting is mandatory by law for certain elections - but this is not the case in other democratic countries. Although everyone living in a democracy has the right to vote at a certain age , not everyone actually does it, which means that in the end, not every voice gets heard. Not everyone has the right to vote. In some democratic countries, there are laws that stop some people from voting.

For example, the Representation of the People Act in the UK prevents people who have been convicted of crimes from voting while they are in prison.