Democracy is a form of government in which all citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal and more or less direct participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law. It can also encompass the social, economic and cultural conditions that enable the free and equal practice of political self-determination.
According to some theories of democracy, popular sovereignty is the founding principle of such a system. However, the democratic principle has also been expressed as the freedom to call something into being which did not exist before, which was not given and which therefore, strictly speaking, could not be known. This type of freedom, which is connected to human nature, or the capacity to start again, sees democracy as not only a political system but an ideal, and an aspiration, while being intimately connected to and dependent upon a picture of what it is to be human or what a human should be to be fully human.
While there is no specific, universally accepted definition of 'democracy', equality and freedom have both been identified as important characteristics of democracy since ancient times. These principles are reflected in all citizens being equal before the law and having equal access to legislative processes. For example, in a representative democracy, every vote has equal weight, no unreasonable restrictions can apply to anyone seeking to become a representative, and the freedom of its citizens is secured by legitimized rights and liberties which are generally protected by a constitution.
There are several varieties of democracy, some of which provide better representation and more freedom for their citizens than others. However, if any democracy is not structured so as to prohibit the government from excluding the people from the legislative process, or any branch of government from altering the separation of powers in its own favor, then a branch of the system can accumulate too much power and destroy the democracy. Representative Democracy, Consensus Democracy, and Deliberative Democracy are all major examples of attempts at a form of government that is both practical and responsive to the needs and desires of citizens.
Many people use the term democracy as shorthand for liberal democracy, which may include elements such as political pluralism; equality before the law; the right to petition elected officials for redress of grievances; due process; civil liberties; human rights; and elements of civil society outside the government. In the United States, separation of powers is often cited as a central attribute, but in other countries, such as the United Kingdom, the dominant principle is that of parliamentary sovereignty though in practice judicial independence is generally maintained. In other cases, democracy is used to mean direct democracy. Though the term democracy is typically used in the context of a political state, the principles are applicable to private organizations and other groups as well.
It can be suggested that the British government is non democratic due to having a first past the post system of election as it allows for a two horse race between the two major parties instead of allowing for other smaller parties to get into government. Also as of the last General Election were a coalition was formed, it can be said that the coalition is undemocratic as people state that they did not vote for it, as people voted Liberal Democrats as they did not want the Conservative party to get into power.
According to some theories of democracy, popular sovereignty is the founding principle of such a system. However, the democratic principle has also been expressed as the freedom to call something into being which did not exist before, which was not given and which therefore, strictly speaking, could not be known. This type of freedom, which is connected to human nature, or the capacity to start again, sees democracy as not only a political system but an ideal, and an aspiration, while being intimately connected to and dependent upon a picture of what it is to be human or what a human should be to be fully human.
While there is no specific, universally accepted definition of 'democracy', equality and freedom have both been identified as important characteristics of democracy since ancient times. These principles are reflected in all citizens being equal before the law and having equal access to legislative processes. For example, in a representative democracy, every vote has equal weight, no unreasonable restrictions can apply to anyone seeking to become a representative, and the freedom of its citizens is secured by legitimized rights and liberties which are generally protected by a constitution.
There are several varieties of democracy, some of which provide better representation and more freedom for their citizens than others. However, if any democracy is not structured so as to prohibit the government from excluding the people from the legislative process, or any branch of government from altering the separation of powers in its own favor, then a branch of the system can accumulate too much power and destroy the democracy. Representative Democracy, Consensus Democracy, and Deliberative Democracy are all major examples of attempts at a form of government that is both practical and responsive to the needs and desires of citizens.
Many people use the term democracy as shorthand for liberal democracy, which may include elements such as political pluralism; equality before the law; the right to petition elected officials for redress of grievances; due process; civil liberties; human rights; and elements of civil society outside the government. In the United States, separation of powers is often cited as a central attribute, but in other countries, such as the United Kingdom, the dominant principle is that of parliamentary sovereignty though in practice judicial independence is generally maintained. In other cases, democracy is used to mean direct democracy. Though the term democracy is typically used in the context of a political state, the principles are applicable to private organizations and other groups as well.
It can be suggested that the British government is non democratic due to having a first past the post system of election as it allows for a two horse race between the two major parties instead of allowing for other smaller parties to get into government. Also as of the last General Election were a coalition was formed, it can be said that the coalition is undemocratic as people state that they did not vote for it, as people voted Liberal Democrats as they did not want the Conservative party to get into power.
