What is democracy?Write in 1000+ Words.
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Answer:
Democracy has long been a deeply contested idea and set of practices. We offer the following as a working definition of both the principles of democracy and its institutional manifestations.
Democracy’s value rests on the core principle of political equality: all members of a political community have equal rights to affect decisions made in their name. This simple formula ensures individuals and social groups are treated with dignity and respect and have the necessary autonomy and freedom to flourish.
To be recognized as ‘democratic’, institutions and systems need to realise a number of aspects:
Inclusiveness: all members of a political community have the right to participate and should have their voices heard.
Popular control: decisions rest with the political community as a whole.
Considered judgement: individual and collective decisions should be based on people being adequately informed and understanding the positions of others.
Transparency: decision-making should be open and accountable.
Other practical elements of a flourishing democracy are generally agreed to be a strong civil society, an active and unrestricted press, a strong and fair legal system, checks and balances on power and free and fair elections. However, democracy is about much more than elections and representative government. More deliberative decision-making and other ways of choosing who is in power, such as by lot, have long been part of democratic political systems.
With the current public unease with politics, there is much debate around rethinking how our democratic systems can and should work. FDSD aims to make sure the interests of future generations and sustainable development are included in that discussion.
Graham Smith, Trustee of FDSD adds:
It challenging to realise in practice the goods of inclusiveness, popular control, considered judgement and transparency. Consider for example the apparently simple question of who should be a member of the political community. We typically use the shorthand ‘citizens’, but this legal status does not include all those affected by decisions: immigrants without citizenship status or those living outside the political territory; those deemed too young or with certain intellectual disabilities; and those who are yet unborn. Decisions of ‘democratic’ states have impacts well beyond their political territories and across time – for example, carbon emissions do not respect borders or generations; and economic policy has effects on producers and consumers beyond national boundaries, impacting on patterns of inequality. How to represent the interests of those not present, but potentially affected, in democratic decision-making is a fundamental task.
Democracy tends to be a form of political organisation that we associate with states – and with representative government in particular. The promise of this form of democracy led to widespread political protest and action across the Middle East in the early part of this century: the Arab Spring. While many of the movements for democratic reform have been crushed, the sheer numbers of people on the streets offers an indication of the desire for democratic rule. Think of the huge queues of people waiting to vote for the first time in emerging democratic societies such as South Africa.
At the same time, democratic societies considered to be more established are facing a crisis of confidence. Trust in politicians and political institutions is at an all-time low; voter turnout and membership of established political parties is generally declining. We seem to have lost confidence in those we have elected to govern: there is a widespread perception they are acting on behalf of sectional interests rather than the political community as a whole. This does not mean a loss of faith in democracy per se (commitment to the democratic ideal remains strong), but rather in its current manifestations.
There is a danger that democracy could become synonymous with representative government: the selection and actions of the elected political class. But democracy means much more than simply voting, more than choosing political parties to rule for the next four to five years. Recall that democracy, when invented in Ancient Greece, had little use for elections: lot and rotation was the central mechanism for the allocation of political power. Representative democracy as we know it is a relatively recent phenomenon.
It should be no surprise, then, that there is much interest and energy in democratic innovation: new ways of invigorating democratic practice through more participatory, deliberative and direct democratic institutions. Such innovations may be bottom-up – through the independent and sometimes confrontational activities and actions of social movements and civil society – or top-down – through the creation of new political institutions that aim to engage individuals and social groups more directly in governing processes.
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Explanation:
Democracy is known as the finest form of government. Why so? Because in a democracy, the people of the country choose their government. They enjoy certain rights which are very essential for any human being to live freely and happily. There are various democratic countries in the world, but India is the largest one. Democracy has withstood the test of time, and while other forms have the government has failed, democracy stood strong. It has time and again proved its importance and impact.
Democracy is very important for human development. When people have free will to live freely, they will be happier. Moreover, we have seen how other forms of government have turned out to be. Citizens are not that happy and prosperous in a monarchy or anarchy.
Furthermore, democracy lets people have equal rights. This ensures that equality prevails all over the country. Subsequently, it also gives them duties. These duties make them better citizens and are also important for their overall development.
Most importantly, in a democracy, the people form the government. So, this selection of the government by the citizens gives everyone a chance to work for their country. It allows the law to prevail efficiently as the rules are made by people whom they have selected.
In addition, democracy allows people of various religions and cultures to exist peacefully. It makes them live in harmony with one another. People of democracy are more tolerant and accepting of each other’s differences. This is very important for any country to be happy and prosper.
India is known to be the largest democracy all over the world. After the rule of the British ended in 1947, India adopted democracy. In India, all the citizens who are above the age of 18 get the right to vote. It does not discriminate on the basis of caste, creed, gender, color, or more.
Further, it follows five principles of democracy. They are secular, sovereign, republic, socialist, and democratic. All of these maintain the democracy of India. Following these principles, political parties contest for elections and the won with the majority of votes, wins. However, the citizens of India do not vote in abundance. There are steps being taken to encourage voting for a better future.
Although India is the largest democracy it still has a long way to go. The country faces a lot of problems which do not let it efficiently function as a democracy. The caste system is still prevalent which hampers with the socialist principle of democracy. Moreover, communalism is also on the rise. This interferes with the secular aspect of the country. All these differences need to be set aside to ensure the happiness and prosperity of the citizens.
In short, democracy in India is still better than that in most of the countries. Nonetheless, there is a lot of room for improvement which we must focus on. The government must implement stringent laws to ensure no discrimination takes place. In addition, awareness programs must be held to make citizens aware of their rights and duties.