easy essay on democracy

45,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

Here’s your new year gift, one app for all your, study abroad needs, start your journey, track your progress, grow with the community and so much more.

Verification Code

An OTP has been sent to your registered mobile no. Please verify

Thanks for your comment !

Our team will review it before it's shown to our readers.

Essay on Democracy in 100, 300 and 500 Words

• Updated on  
• Jan 15, 2024

The oldest account of democracy can be traced back to 508–507 BCC Athens . Today there are over 50 different types of democracy across the world. But, what is the ideal form of democracy? Why is democracy considered the epitome of freedom and rights around the globe? Let’s explore what self-governance is and how you can write a creative and informative essay on democracy and its significance. 

Today, India is the largest democracy with a population of 1.41 billion and counting. Everyone in India above the age of 18 is given the right to vote and elect their representative. Isn’t it beautiful, when people are given the option to vote for their leader, one that understands their problems and promises to end their miseries? This is just one feature of democracy , for we have a lot of samples for you in the essay on democracy. Stay tuned!

This Blog Includes:

What is democracy , sample essay on democracy (100 words), sample essay on democracy (250 to 300 words), sample essay on democracy for upsc (500 words).

Democracy is a form of government in which the final authority to deliberate and decide the legislation for the country lies with the people, either directly or through representatives. Within a democracy, the method of decision-making, and the demarcation of citizens vary among countries. However, some fundamental principles of democracy include the rule of law, inclusivity, political deliberations, voting via elections , etc. 

Did you know: On 15th August 1947, India became the world’s largest democracy after adopting the Indian Constitution and granting fundamental rights to its citizens?

Also Read: Essay on Yoga Day

Also Read: Speech on Yoga Day

Democracy where people make decisions for the country is the only known form of governance in the world that promises to inculcate principles of equality, liberty and justice. The deliberations and negotiations to form policies and make decisions for the country are the basis on which the government works, with supreme power to people to choose their representatives, delegate the country’s matters and express their dissent. The democratic system is usually of two types, the presidential system, and the parliamentary system. In India, the three pillars of democracy, namely legislature, executive and judiciary, working independently and still interconnected, along with a free press and media provide a structure for a truly functional democracy. Despite the longest-written constitution incorporating values of sovereignty, socialism, secularism etc. India, like other countries, still faces challenges like corruption, bigotry, and oppression of certain communities and thus, struggles to stay true to its democratic ideals.

Did you know: Some of the richest countries in the world are democracies?

Must Read : Consumer Rights in India

Must Read: Democracy and Diversity Class 10

As Abraham Lincoln once said, “democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people.” There is undeniably no doubt that the core of democracies lies in making people the ultimate decision-makers. With time, the simple definition of democracy has evolved to include other principles like equality, political accountability, rights of the citizens and to an extent, values of liberty and justice. Across the globe, representative democracies are widely prevalent, however, there is a major variation in how democracies are practised. The major two types of representative democracy are presidential and parliamentary forms of democracy. Moreover, not all those who present themselves as a democratic republic follow its values.

Many countries have legally deprived some communities of living with dignity and protecting their liberty, or are practising authoritarian rule through majoritarianism or populist leaders. Despite this, one of the things that are central and basic to all is the practice of elections and voting. However, even in such a case, the principles of universal adult franchise and the practice of free and fair elections are theoretically essential but very limited in practice, for a democracy. Unlike several other nations, India is still, at least constitutionally and principally, a practitioner of an ideal democracy.

With our three organs of the government, namely legislative, executive and judiciary, the constitutional rights to citizens, a multiparty system, laws to curb discrimination and spread the virtues of equality, protection to minorities, and a space for people to discuss, debate and dissent, India has shown a commitment towards democratic values. In recent times, with challenges to freedom of speech, rights of minority groups and a conundrum between the protection of diversity and unification of the country, the debate about the preservation of democracy has become vital to public discussion.

Did you know: In countries like Brazil, Scotland, Switzerland, Argentina, and Austria the minimum voting age is 16 years?

Also Read: Difference Between Democracy and Dictatorship

Democracy originated from the Greek word dēmokratiā , with dēmos ‘people’ and Kratos ‘rule.’ For the first time, the term appeared in the 5th century BC to denote the political systems then existing in Greek city-states, notably Classical Athens, to mean “rule of the people.” It now refers to a form of governance where the people have the right to participate in the decision-making of the country. Majorly, it is either a direct democracy where citizens deliberate and make legislation while in a representative democracy, they choose government officials on their behalf, like in a parliamentary or presidential democracy.

The presidential system (like in the USA) has the President as the head of the country and the government, while the parliamentary system (like in the UK and India) has both a Prime Minister who derives its legitimacy from a parliament and even a nominal head like a monarch or a President.

The notions and principle frameworks of democracy have evolved with time. At the core, lies the idea of political discussions and negotiations. In contrast to its alternatives like monarchy, anarchy, oligarchy etc., it is the one with the most liberty to incorporate diversity. The ideas of equality, political representation to all, active public participation, the inclusion of dissent, and most importantly, the authority to the law by all make it an attractive option for citizens to prefer, and countries to follow.

The largest democracy in the world, India with the lengthiest constitution has tried and to an extent, successfully achieved incorporating the framework to be a functional democracy. It is a parliamentary democratic republic where the President is head of the state and the Prime minister is head of the government. It works on the functioning of three bodies, namely legislative, executive, and judiciary. By including the principles of a sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic, and undertaking the guidelines to establish equality, liberty and justice, in the preamble itself, India shows true dedication to achieving the ideal.

It has formed a structure that allows people to enjoy their rights, fight against discrimination or any other form of suppression, and protect their rights as well. The ban on all and any form of discrimination, an independent judiciary, governmental accountability to its citizens, freedom of media and press, and secular values are some common values shared by all types of democracies.

Across the world, countries have tried rooting their constitution with the principles of democracy. However, the reality is different. Even though elections are conducted everywhere, mostly, they lack freedom of choice and fairness. Even in the world’s greatest democracies, there are challenges like political instability, suppression of dissent, corruption , and power dynamics polluting the political sphere and making it unjust for the citizens. Despite the consensus on democracy as the best form of government, the journey to achieve true democracy is both painstaking and tiresome. 

Did you know: Countries like Singapore, Peru, and Brazil have compulsory voting?

Must Read: Democracy and Diversity Class 10 Notes

Democracy is a process through which the government of a country is elected by and for the people.

Yes, India is a democratic country and also holds the title of the world’s largest democracy.

Direct and Representative Democracy are the two major types of Democracy.

Related Articles

Hope you learned from our essay on democracy! For more exciting articles related to writing and education abroad , follow Leverage Edu .

Sonal is a creative, enthusiastic writer and editor who has worked extensively for the Study Abroad domain. She splits her time between shooting fun insta reels and learning new tools for content marketing. If she is missing from her desk, you can find her with a group of people cracking silly jokes or petting neighbourhood dogs.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Contact no. *

Very helpful essay

Thanks for your valuable feedback

Thank you so much for informing this much about democracy

Leaving already?

8 Universities with higher ROI than IITs and IIMs

Grab this one-time opportunity to download this ebook

Connect With Us

45,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. take the first step today..

Resend OTP in

Need help with?

Study abroad.

UK, Canada, US & More

IELTS, GRE, GMAT & More

Scholarship, Loans & Forex

Country Preference

New Zealand

Which English test are you planning to take?

Which academic test are you planning to take.

Not Sure yet

When are you planning to take the exam?

Already booked my exam slot

Within 2 Months

Want to learn about the test

Which Degree do you wish to pursue?

When do you want to start studying abroad.

September 2024

January 2025

What is your budget to study abroad?

How would you describe this article ?

Please rate this article

We would like to hear more.

Talk to our experts

1800-120-456-456

• Democracy Essay for Students in English

Essay on Democracy

Introduction.

Democracy is mainly a Greek word which means people and their rules, here peoples have the to select their own government as per their choice. Greece was the first democratic country in the world. India is a democratic country where people select their government of their own choice, also people have the rights to do the work of their choice. There are two types of democracy: direct and representative and hybrid or semi-direct democracy. There are many decisions which are made under democracies. People enjoy few rights which are very essential for human beings to live happily. 

Our country has the largest democracy. In a democracy, each person has equal rights to fight for development. After the independence, India has adopted democracy, where the people vote those who are above 18 years of age, but these votes do not vary by any caste; people from every caste have equal rights to select their government. Democracy, also called as a rule of the majority, means whatever the majority of people decide, it has to be followed or implemented, the representative winning with the most number of votes will have the power. We can say the place where literacy people are more there shows the success of the democracy even lack of consciousness is also dangerous in a democracy. Democracy is associated with higher human accumulation and higher economic freedom. Democracy is closely tied with the economic source of growth like education and quality of life as well as health care. The constituent assembly in India was adopted by Dr B.R. Ambedkar on 26 th November 1949 and became sovereign democratic after its constitution came into effect on 26 January 1950.

What are the Challenges:

There are many challenges for democracy like- corruption here, many political leaders and officers who don’t do work with integrity everywhere they demand bribes, resulting in the lack of trust on the citizens which affects the country very badly. Anti-social elements- which are seen during elections where people are given bribes and they are forced to vote for a particular candidate. Caste and community- where a large number of people give importance to their caste and community, therefore, the political party also selects the candidate on the majority caste. We see wherever the particular caste people win the elections whether they do good for the society or not, and in some cases, good leaders lose because of less count of the vote.

India is considered to be the largest democracy around the globe, with a population of 1.3 billion. Even though being the biggest democratic nation, India still has a long way to becoming the best democratic system. The caste system still prevails in some parts, which hurts the socialist principle of democracy. Communalism is on the rise throughout the globe and also in India, which interferes with the secular principle of democracy. All these differences need to be set aside to ensure a thriving democracy.

Principles of Democracy:

There are mainly five principles like- republic, socialist, sovereign, democratic and secular, with all these quality political parties will contest for elections. There will be many bribes given to the needy person who require food, money, shelter and ask them to vote whom they want. But we can say that democracy in India is still better than the other countries.

Basically, any country needs democracy for development and better functioning of the government. In some countries, freedom of political expression, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, are considered to ensure that voters are well informed, enabling them to vote according to their own interests.

Let us Discuss These Five Principles in Further Detail

Sovereign: In short, being sovereign or sovereignty means the independent authority of a state. The country has the authority to make all the decisions whether it be on internal issues or external issues, without the interference of any third party.

Socialist: Being socialist means the country (and the Govt.), always works for the welfare of the people, who live in that country. There should be many bribes offered to the needy person, basic requirements of them should be fulfilled by any means. No one should starve in such a country.

Secular: There will be no such thing as a state religion, the country does not make any bias on the basis of religion. Every religion must be the same in front of the law, no discrimination on the basis of someone’s religion is tolerated. Everyone is allowed to practice and propagate any religion, they can change their religion at any time.

Republic: In a republic form of Government, the head of the state is elected, directly or indirectly by the people and is not a hereditary monarch. This elected head is also there for a fixed tenure. In India, the head of the state is the president, who is indirectly elected and has a fixed term of office (5 years).

Democratic: By a democratic form of government, means the country’s government is elected by the people via the process of voting. All the adult citizens in the country have the right to vote to elect the government they want, only if they meet a certain age limit of voting.

Merits of Democracy:

better government forms because it is more accountable and in the interest of the people.

improves the quality of decision making and enhances the dignity of the citizens.

provide a method to deal with differences and conflicts.

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. It permits citizens to participate in making laws and public policies by choosing their leaders, therefore citizens should be educated so that they can select the right candidate for the ruling government. Also, there are some concerns regarding democracy- leaders always keep changing in democracy with the interest of citizens and on the count of votes which leads to instability. It is all about political competition and power, no scope for morality.

Factors Affect Democracy:

capital and civil society

economic development

modernization

Norway and Iceland are the best democratic countries in the world. India is standing at fifty-one position.

India is a parliamentary democratic republic where the President is head of the state and Prime minister is head of the government. The guiding principles of democracy such as protected rights and freedoms, free and fair elections, accountability and transparency of government officials, citizens have a responsibility to uphold and support their principles. Democracy was first practised in the 6 th century BCE, in the city-state of Athens. One basic principle of democracy is that people are the source of all the political power, in a democracy people rule themselves and also respect given to diverse groups of citizens, so democracy is required to select the government of their own interest and make the nation developed by electing good leaders.

FAQs on Democracy Essay for Students in English

1. What are the Features of Democracy?

Features of Democracy are as follows

Equality: Democracy provides equal rights to everyone, regardless of their gender, caste, colour, religion or creed.

Individual Freedom: Everybody has the right to do anything they want until it does not affect another person’s liberty.

Majority Rules: In a democracy, things are decided by the majority rule, if the majority agrees to something, it will be done.

Free Election: Everyone has the right to vote or to become a candidate to fight the elections.

2. Define Democracy?

Democracy means where people have the right to choose the rulers and also people have freedom to express views, freedom to organise and freedom to protest. Protesting and showing Dissent is a major part of a healthy democracy. Democracy is the most successful and popular form of government throughout the globe.

Democracy holds a special place in India, also India is still the largest democracy in existence around the world.

3. What are the Benefits of Democracy?

Let us discuss some of the benefits received by the use of democracy to form a government. Benefits of democracy are: 

It is more accountable

Improves the quality of decision as the decision is taken after a long time of discussion and consultation.

It provides a better method to deal with differences and conflicts.

It safeguards the fundamental rights of people and brings a sense of equality and freedom.

It works for the welfare of both the people and the state.

4. Which country is the largest democracy in the World?

India is considered the largest democracy, all around the world. India decided to have a democratic Govt. from the very first day of its independence after the rule of the British. In India, everyone above the age of 18 years can go to vote to select the Government, without any kind of discrimination on the basis of caste, colour, religion, gender or more. But India, even being the largest democracy, still has a long way to become perfect.

5. Write about the five principles of Democracy?

There are five key principles that are followed in a democracy. These Five Principles of Democracy of India are -  secular, sovereign, republic, socialist, and democratic. These five principles have to be respected by every political party, participating in the general elections in India. The party which got the most votes forms the government which represents the democratic principle. No discrimination is done on the basis of religion which represents the secular nature of democracy. The govt. formed after the election has to work for the welfare of common people which shows socialism in play.

Democracy Essay

Democracy is derived from the Greek word demos or people. It is defined as a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people. Democracy is exercised directly by the people; in large societies, it is by the people through their elected agents. In the phrase of President Abraham Lincoln, democracy is the “Government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” There are various democratic countries, but India has the largest democracy in the world. This Democracy Essay will help you know all about India’s democracy. Students can also get a list of CBSE Essays on different topics to boost their essay-writing skills.

500+ Words Democracy Essay

India is a very large country full of diversities – linguistically, culturally and religiously. At the time of independence, it was economically underdeveloped. There were enormous regional disparities, widespread poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, and a shortage of almost all public welfare means. Since independence, India has been functioning as a responsible democracy. The same has been appreciated by the international community. It has successfully adapted to challenging situations. There have been free and fair periodic elections for all political offices, from the panchayats to the President. There has been a smooth transfer of political power from one political party or set of political parties to others, both at national and state levels, on many occasions.

India: A Democratic Country

Democracy is of two, i.e. direct and representative. In a direct democracy, all citizens, without the intermediary of elected or appointed officials, can participate in making public decisions. Such a system is only practical with relatively small numbers of people in a community organisation or tribal council. Whereas in representative democracy, every citizen has the right to vote for their representative. People elect their representatives to all levels, from Panchayats, Municipal Boards, State Assemblies and Parliament. In India, we have a representative democracy.

Democracy is a form of government in which rulers elected by the people take all the major decisions. Elections offer a choice and fair opportunity to the people to change the current rulers. This choice and opportunity are available to all people on an equal basis. The exercise of this choice leads to a government limited by basic rules of the constitution and citizens’ rights.

Democracy is the Best Form of Government

A democratic government is a better government because it is a more accountable form of government. Democracy provides a method to deal with differences and conflicts. Thus, democracy improves the quality of decision-making. The advantage of a democracy is that mistakes cannot be hidden for long. There is a space for public discussion, and there is room for correction. Either the rulers have to change their decisions, or the rulers can be changed. Democracy offers better chances of a good decision. It respects people’s own wishes and allows different kinds of people to live together. Even when it fails to do some of these things, it allows a way of correcting its mistakes and offers more dignity to all citizens. That is why democracy is considered the best form of government.

Students must have found this “Democracy Essay” useful for improving their essay writing skills. They can get the study material and the latest update on CBSE/ICSE/State Board/Competitive Exams, at BYJU’S.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your Mobile number and Email id will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Request OTP on Voice Call

Post My Comment

Register with BYJU'S & Download Free PDFs

Register with byju's & watch live videos.

500+ word Essay on Democracy

Democracy is like a bright guiding light that has shaped our world for centuries. It’s not just a word; it’s a powerful idea that brings people together, giving them a voice and a choice in how they want to be governed. In this essay, we will explore why democracy is so important and why it matters to people all over the world.

Equality and Freedom

Democracy is all about equality and freedom. It means that every person, regardless of their background, has a say in how their country is run. In a democracy, the power doesn’t belong to just one person or a small group; it belongs to the people. For example, in the United States, the President is elected by the citizens, and this election happens every four years. This ensures that leaders are chosen by and for the people.

Protecting Rights

In a democratic country, certain rights and freedoms are protected. These include the right to express your thoughts and ideas freely, the right to choose your religion, and the right to a fair trial if you are accused of a crime. These rights are like a shield that keeps us safe from unfair treatment. They are written in documents like the Constitution and are upheld by the government.

Decision-Making

In a democracy, important decisions are made by considering the opinions of many people. This makes the decisions fairer and better for everyone. For instance, when a new law is proposed, it has to go through a process where lawmakers discuss it, and citizens can give their input. This way, laws are not made in secret, but in the open, with everyone having a chance to be heard.

Peaceful Change

Democracy allows for peaceful change. When people disagree with their leaders or government policies, they can vote for different leaders in the next election. This prevents violence and wars that can happen in places where people don’t have a say. An example is when Nelson Mandela became the leader of South Africa through democratic elections, ending years of racial discrimination and violence.

Economic Prosperity

Countries with strong democracies often have more economic prosperity. This is because democracy encourages entrepreneurship and innovation. People are more willing to invest and start businesses when they know their rights and property will be protected. A great example is how the democratic country of South Korea transformed from poverty to a global economic powerhouse in just a few decades.

Learning and Progress

Democracy encourages learning and progress. In democratic societies, education is highly valued. People have access to information and can make informed decisions. Leaders are held accountable for their actions, which motivates them to work for the betterment of the country. Finland is a prime example of a democratic nation that highly values education and consistently ranks among the top in global education assessments.

Protecting Minorities

Democracy protects the rights of minorities. It ensures that even if you belong to a small group or have different beliefs, you still have a voice, and your rights are respected. This helps create a diverse and inclusive society where everyone can thrive. Canada, for instance, has a strong democratic tradition and a commitment to protecting the rights of its Indigenous peoples and other minority groups.

Global Cooperation

Democracy also plays a role in global cooperation. Democratic countries often work together to solve common problems, like climate change or global health crises. They can negotiate and make agreements that benefit everyone. The Paris Agreement on climate change is an example of such global cooperation among democratic nations.

Conclusion of Essay on Democracy

In conclusion, democracy is not just a word; it’s a guiding principle that has the power to shape our world for the better. It ensures equality, freedom, and the protection of our rights. It encourages peaceful change and economic prosperity. Democracy values learning, progress, and the protection of minorities. It also fosters global cooperation. As we continue to cherish and uphold democracy, we strengthen the foundations of a just and prosperous world for generations to come. Democracy is not just for some; it’s for all of us, and it’s worth preserving and celebrating.

Also Check: 500+ Words long Essay on Technology

• History & Society
• Science & Tech
• Biographies
• Animals & Nature
• Geography & Travel
• Arts & Culture
• Games & Quizzes
• On This Day
• One Good Fact
• New Articles
• Lifestyles & Social Issues
• Philosophy & Religion
• Politics, Law & Government
• World History
• Health & Medicine
• Browse Biographies
• Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
• Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates
• Environment
• Fossils & Geologic Time
• Entertainment & Pop Culture
• Sports & Recreation
• Visual Arts
• Demystified
• Image Galleries
• Infographics
• Top Questions
• Britannica Kids
• Saving Earth
• Space Next 50
• Student Center
• Introduction & Top Questions

Fundamental questions

• Prehistoric forms of democracy
• Classical Greece
• The Roman Republic
• “Constitutional oligarchies”
• A democratic dilemma
• Continental Europe
• The United States
• Democracy or republic?
• Solving the dilemma
• Factions and parties
• Majority rule, minority rights, majority tyranny
• Failures of nondemocratic systems
• Market economies
• Economic well-being
• Political culture
• Presidential and parliamentary systems
• Unitary and federal systems
• Proportional and winner-take-all systems
• Two-party and multiparty systems
• Majoritarian and consensual systems
• The legitimacy of government
• Answers to fundamental questions
• Montesquieu
• Features of ideal democracy
• Ideal and representative democracy
• Actual democracies
• The value of democracy
• Economic insecurity and inequality
• The costs of identity politics
• Democracy and clientelism
• Authoritarian threats
• Technological developments

What is democracy?

Where was democracy first practiced, how is democracy better than other forms of government, why does democracy need education.

• Why is Pericles important?

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

• Social Science LibreTexts - Democracies and Democratization
• Khan Academy - Types of democracy
• PBS LearningMedia - The Birth of Democracy | The Greeks
• Princeton University - Populism and Democratic Theory
• The UNESCO Courier - What is democracy?
• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Democracy
• Loyola University Chicago - Political Legitimacy and Democracy
• democracy - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
• democracy - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
• Table Of Contents

Democracy is a system of government in which laws, policies, leadership, and major undertakings of a state or other polity are directly or indirectly decided by the “people,” a group historically constituted by only a minority of the population (e.g., all free adult males in ancient Athens or all sufficiently propertied adult males in 19th-century Britain) but generally understood since the mid-20th century to include all (or nearly all) adult citizens.

Studies of contemporary nonliterate tribal societies and other evidence suggest that democracy, broadly speaking, was practiced within tribes of hunter-gatherers in prehistoric times. The transition to settled agricultural communities led to inequalities of wealth and power between and within communities and hierarchical nondemocratic forms of social organization. Thousands of years later, in the 6th century BCE, a relatively democratic form of government was introduced in the city-state of Athens by Cleisthenes .

States with democratic governments prevent rule by autocrats, guarantee fundamental individual rights, allow for a relatively high level of political equality, and rarely make war on each other. As compared with nondemocratic states, they also better foster human development as measured by indicators such as health and education , provide more prosperity for their citizens, and ensure a broader range of personal freedoms.

The hallmark of democracy is that it permits citizens to participate in making laws and public policies by regularly choosing their leaders and by voting in assemblies or referenda . If their participation is to be meaningful and effective—if the democracy is to be real and not a sham—citizens must understand their own interests, know the relevant facts, and have the ability to critically evaluate political arguments. Each of those things presupposes education .

Recent News

democracy , literally, rule by the people. The term is derived from the Greek dēmokratia , which was coined from dēmos (“people”) and kratos (“rule”) in the middle of the 5th century bce to denote the political systems then existing in some Greek city-states , notably Athens .

(Read Madeleine Albright’s Britannica essay on democracy.)

The etymological origins of the term democracy hint at a number of urgent problems that go far beyond semantic issues. If a government of or by the people—a “popular” government—is to be established, at least five fundamental questions must be confronted at the outset, and two more are almost certain to be posed if the democracy continues to exist for long.

(1) What is the appropriate unit or association within which a democratic government should be established? A town or city? A country? A business corporation ? A university? An international organization ? All of these?

(2) Given an appropriate association—a city, for example—who among its members should enjoy full citizenship? Which persons, in other words, should constitute the dēmos ? Is every member of the association entitled to participate in governing it? Assuming that children should not be allowed to participate (as most adults would agree), should the dēmos include all adults? If it includes only a subset of the adult population, how small can the subset be before the association ceases to be a democracy and becomes something else, such as an aristocracy (government by the best, aristos ) or an oligarchy (government by the few, oligos )?

(3) Assuming a proper association and a proper dēmos , how are citizens to govern? What political organizations or institutions will they need? Will these institutions differ between different kinds of associations—for example, a small town and a large country?

(4) When citizens are divided on an issue, as they often will be, whose views should prevail, and in what circumstances? Should a majority always prevail, or should minorities sometimes be empowered to block or overcome majority rule?

(5) If a majority is ordinarily to prevail, what is to constitute a proper majority? A majority of all citizens? A majority of voters? Should a proper majority comprise not individual citizens but certain groups or associations of citizens, such as hereditary groups or territorial associations?

(6) The preceding questions presuppose an adequate answer to a sixth and even more important question: Why should “the people” rule? Is democracy really better than aristocracy or monarchy ? Perhaps, as Plato argues in the Republic , the best government would be led by a minority of the most highly qualified persons—an aristocracy of “ philosopher-kings .” What reasons could be given to show that Plato’s view is wrong?

(7) No association could maintain a democratic government for very long if a majority of the dēmos —or a majority of the government—believed that some other form of government were better. Thus, a minimum condition for the continued existence of a democracy is that a substantial proportion of both the dēmos and the leadership believes that popular government is better than any feasible alternative . What conditions, in addition to this one, favour the continued existence of democracy? What conditions are harmful to it? Why have some democracies managed to endure, even through periods of severe crisis, while so many others have collapsed?

What Is Democracy? Definition and Examples

• B.S., Texas A&M University

A democracy is a form of government that empowers the people to exercise political control, limits the power of the head of state, provides for the separation of powers between governmental entities, and ensures the protection of natural rights and civil liberties . In practice, democracy takes many different forms. Along with the two most common types of democracies—direct and representative—variants such as participatory, liberal, parliamentary, pluralist, constitutional, and socialist democracies can be found in use today.

Key Takeaways: Democracy

• Democracy, literally meaning “rule by the people,” empowers individuals to exercise political control over the form and functions of their government.
• While democracies come in several forms, they all feature competitive elections, freedom of expression , and protection of individual civil liberties and human rights.
• In most democracies, the needs and wishes of the people are represented by elected lawmakers who are charged with writing and voting on laws and setting policy.
• When creating laws and policies, the elected representatives in a democracy strive to balance conflicting demands and obligations to maximize freedom and protect individual rights.

Despite the prominence in the headlines of non-democratic, authoritarian states like China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, democracy remains the world’s most commonly practiced form of government. In 2018, for example, a total of 96 out of 167 countries (57%) with populations of at least 500,000 were democracies of some type. Statics show that the percentage of democracies among the world’s governments has been increasing since the mid-1970s, currently standing just short of its post- World War II high of 58% in 2016.

Democracy Definition

Meaning “rule by the people,” democracy is a system of government that not only allows but requires the participation of the people in the political process to function properly. U.S. President Abraham Lincoln , in his famed 1863 Gettysburg Address may have best-defined democracy as a “…government of the people, by the people, for the people…”

Semantically, the term democracy comes from the Greek words for “people” (dēmos) and “rule” (karatos). However, achieving and preserving a government by the people—a “popular” government—is far more complicated than the concept’s semantic simplicity might imply. In creating the legal framework under which the democracy will function, typically a constitution, several crucial political and practical questions must be answered.

Is “rule by the people” even appropriate for the given state? Do the inherent freedoms of a democracy justify dealing with its complex bureaucracy and electoral processes, or would the streamlined predictability of a monarchy , for example, be preferable?

Assuming a preference for democracy, which residents of the country, state, or town should enjoy the political status of full citizenship? Simply stated, who are the “people” in the “government by the people” equation? In the United States, for example, the constitutionally established doctrine of birthright citizenship provides that any person born on U.S. soil automatically becomes a U.S. citizen. Other democracies are more restrictive in bestowing full citizenship.

Which people within the democracy should be empowered to participate in it? Assuming that only adults are allowed to fully participate in the political process, should all adults be included? For example, until the enactment of the 19th Amendment in 1920, women in the United States were not allowed to vote in national elections. A democracy that excludes too many of the governed from taking part in what is supposed to be their government runs the risk of becoming an aristocracy—government by a small, privileged ruling class—or an oligarchy —government by an elite, typically wealthy, few.

If, as one of the foundational principles of democracy holds, the majority rules, what will a “proper” majority be? A majority of all citizens or a majority of citizens who vote only? When issues, as they inevitably will, divide the people, should the wishes of the majority always prevail, or should, as in the case of the American Civil Rights Movement , minorities be empowered to overcome majority rule? Most importantly, what legal or legislative mechanisms should be created to prevent the democracy from becoming a victim of what one of America’s Founding Fathers , James Madison , called “the tyranny of the majority?”

Finally, how likely is it that a majority of the people will continue to believe that democracy is the best form of government for them? For a democracy to survive it must retain the substantial support of both the people and the leaders they choose. History has shown that democracy is a particularly fragile institution. In fact, of the 120 new democracies that have emerged around the world since 1960, nearly half have resulted in failed states or have been replaced by other, typically more authoritarian forms of government. It is therefore essential that democracies be designed to respond quickly and appropriately to the internal and external factors that will inevitably threaten them.

Democratic Principles

While their opinions vary, a consensus of political scientists agree that most democracies are based on six foundational elements:

• Popular sovereignty: The principle that the government is created and maintained by the consent of the people through their elected representatives.
• An Electoral System: Since according to the principle of popular sovereignty, the people are the source of all political power, a clearly defined system of conducting free and fair elections is essential.
• Public Participation: Democracies rarely survive without the active participation of the people. Health democracies enable and encourage the people to take part in their political and civic processes. 
• Separation of Powers: Based on a suspicion of power concentrated in a single individual—like a king—or group, the constitutions of most democracies provide that political powers be separated and shared among the various governmental entities.
• Human Rights: Along with their constitutionally enumerated rights freedoms, democracies protect the human rights of all citizens. In this context, human rights are those rights considered inherent to all human beings, regardless of nationality, sex, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other considerations.
• A Rule of Law: Also called due process of law , the rule of law is the principle that all citizens are accountable to laws that are publicly created and equitably enforced in a manner consistent with human rights by an independent judicial system.

Types of Democracy

Throughout history, more types of democracy have been identified than there are countries in the world. According to social and political philosopher Jean-Paul Gagnon, more than 2,234 adjectives have been used to describe democracy. While many scholars refer to direct and representative as the most common of these, several other types of democracies can be found around the world today. While direct democracy is unique, most other recognized types of democracy are variants of representative democracy. These various types of democracy are generally descriptive of the particular values emphasized by the representative democracies that employ them.

Originated in Ancient Greece during the 5th century BCE, direct democracy , sometimes called “pure democracy,” is considered the oldest non-authoritarian form of government. In a direct democracy, all laws and public policy decisions are made directly by a majority vote of the people, rather than by the votes of their elected representatives.

Functionally possible only in small states, Switzerland is the only example of a direct democracy applied on a national level today. While Switzerland is no longer a true direct democracy, any law passed by the popularly elected national parliament can be vetoed by a direct vote of the public. Citizens can also change the constitution through direct votes on amendments. In the United States, examples of direct democracy can be found in state-level recall elections and lawmaking ballot initiatives .

Representative

Also called indirect democracy, representative democracy is a system of government in which all eligible citizens elect officials to pass laws and formulate public policy on their behalf. These elected officials are expected to represent the needs and viewpoints of the people in deciding the best course of action for the nation, state, or other jurisdiction as a whole.

As the most commonly found type of democracy in use today, almost 60% of all countries employ some form of representative democracy including the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.

Participatory

In a participatory democracy, the people vote directly on policy while their elected representatives are responsible for implementing those policies. Participatory democracies rely on the citizens in setting the direction of the state and the operation of its political systems. While the two forms of government share similar ideals, participatory democracies tend to encourage a higher, more direct form of citizen participation than traditional representative democracies.

While there are no countries specifically classified as participatory democracies, most representative democracies employ citizen participation as a tool for social and political reform. In the United States, for example, so-called “grassroots” citizen participation causes such as the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s have led elected officials to enact laws implementing sweeping social, legal, and political policy changes.

Liberal democracy is loosely defined as a form of representative democracy that emphasizes the principles of classical liberalism —an ideology advocating the protection of individual civil liberties and economic freedom by limiting the power of the government. Liberal democracies employ a constitution, either statutorily codified, as in the United States or uncodified, as in the United Kingdom, to define the powers of the government, provide for a separation of those powers, and enshrine the social contract .

Liberal democracies may take the form of a constitutional republic , like the United States, or a constitutional monarchy , such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

Parliamentary

In a parliamentary democracy, the people directly elect representatives to a legislative parliament . Similar to the U.S. Congress , the parliament directly represents the people in making necessary laws and policy decisions for the country.

In parliamentary democracies such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Japan, the head of government is a prime minister, who is first elected to parliament by the people, then elected prime minister by a vote of the parliament. However, the prime minister remains a member of the parliament and thus plays an active role in the legislative process of creating and passing laws. Parliamentary democracies are typically a feature of a constitutional monarch, a system of government in which the head of state is a queen or king whose power is limited by a constitution.

In a pluralist democracy, no single group dominates politics. Instead, organized groups within the people compete to influence public policy. In political science, the term pluralism expresses the ideology that influence should be spread among different interest groups, rather than held by a single elite group as in an aristocracy. Compared to participatory democracies, in which individuals take part in influencing political decisions, in a pluralist democracy, individuals work through groups formed around common causes hoping to win the support of elected leaders.

In this context, the pluralist democracy assumes that the government and the society as a whole benefit from a diversity of viewpoints. Examples of pluralist democracy can be seen in the impact special interest groups, such as the National Organization for Women , have had on American politics.

Constitutional

While the exact definition continues to be debated by political scientists, constitutional democracy is generally defined as a system of government based on popular sovereignty and a rule of law in which the structures, powers, and limits of government are established by a constitution. Constitutions are intended to restrict the power of the government, typically by separating those powers between the various branches of government, as in the United States’ constitution’s system of federalism . In a constitutional democracy, the constitution is considered to be the “ supreme law of the land .”

Democratic socialism is broadly defined as a system of government based on a socialist economy , in which most property and means of production are collectively, rather than individually, controlled by a constitutionally established political hierarchy—the government. Social democracy embraces government regulation of business and industry as a means of furthering economic growth while preventing income inequality .

While there are no purely socialist governments in the world today, elements of democratic socialism can be seen in Sweden’s provision of free universal health care, education, and sweeping social welfare programs. 

Is America a Democracy

While the word “democracy” does not appear in the United States Constitution, the document provides the basic elements of representative democracy: an electoral system based on majority rule, separation of powers, and a dependence on a rule of law. Also, America’s Founding Fathers used the word often when debating the form and function of the Constitution.  

However, a long-running debate over whether the United States is a democracy or a republic continues today. According to a growing number of political scientists and constitutional scholars, it is both—a “democratic republic.”

Similar to democracy, a republic is a form of government in which the country is governed by the elected representatives of the people. However, since the people do not govern the state themselves, but do so through their representatives, a republic is distinguished from direct democracy.

Professor Eugene Volokh of the UCLA School of Law argues that the governments of democratic republics embrace the principles shared by both republics and democracies. To illustrate his point, Volokh notes that in the United States, many decisions on local and state levels are made by the people through the process of direct democracy, while as in a republic, most decisions at the national level are made by democratically elected representatives.

Brief History

Archeological evidence suggests that disorganized practices at least resembling democracy existed in some parts of the world during prehistoric times, However, the concept of democracy as a form of populist civic engagement emerged during the 5th century BCE in the form of the political system used in some of the city-states of Ancient Greece , most notably Athens . At that time, and for the next several centuries, tribes or city-states remained small enough that if democracy was practiced at all, it took the form of direct democracy. As city-states grew into larger, more heavily populated sovereign nation-states or countries, direct democracy became unwieldy and slowly gave way to representative democracy. This massive change necessitated an entirely new set of political institutions such as legislatures, parliaments, and political parties all designed according to the size and cultural character of the city or country to be governed.

Until the 17th century, most legislatures consisted only of the entire body of citizens, as in Greece, or representatives selected from among a tiny oligarchy or an elite hereditary aristocracy. This began to change during the English Civil Wars from 1642 to 1651 when members of the radical Puritan reformation movement demanded expanded representation in Parliament and the universal right to vote for all male citizens. By the middle 1700s, as the power of the British Parliament grew, the first political parties—the Whigs and Tories—emerged. It soon became obvious that laws could not be passed or taxes levied without the support of the Whig or Tory party representatives in Parliament.

While the developments in the British Parliament showed the feasibility of a representative form of government, the first truly representative democracies emerged during the 1780s in the British colonies of North America and took its modern form with the formal adoption of the Constitution of the United States of America on March 4, 1789.

Sources and Further Reference

• Desilver, Drew. “Despite global concerns about democracy, more than half of countries are democratic.” Pew Research Center , May 14, 2019, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/05/14/more-than-half-of-countries-are-democratic/.
• Kapstein, Ethan B., and Converse, Nathan. “The Fate of Young Democracies.” Cambridge University Press, 2008, ISBN 9780511817809.
• Diamond, Larry. “Democracy in Decline?” Johns Hopkins University Press, October 1, 2015, ISBN-10 1421418185.
• Gagnon, Jean-Paul. “2,234 Descriptions of Democracy: An Update to Democracy's Ontological Pluralism.” Democratic Theory, vol. 5, no. 1, 2018.
• Volokh, Eugene. “Is the United States of America a republic or a democracy?” The Washington Post , May 13, 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/05/13/is-the-united-states-of-america-a-republic-or-a-democracy/. 
• Republic vs. Democracy: What Is the Difference?
• List of Current Communist Countries in the World
• The Definition and Purpose of Political Institutions
• What Is a Constitutional Monarchy? Definition and Examples
• Understanding Types of Government
• What Is Autocracy? Definition and Examples
• What Is Classical Liberalism? Definition and Examples
• Is Libya a Democracy Now?
• Constitutional Law: Definition and Function
• What Is an Absolute Monarchy? Definition and Examples
• What Is Socialism? Definition and Examples
• What Is Aristocracy? Definition and Examples
• Direct Democracy: Definition, Examples, Pros and Cons
• Representative Democracy: Definition, Pros, and Cons
• What Is a Failed State? Definition and Examples
• What Is Pluralism? Definition and Examples

Essay on Importance of Voting in Democracy

Students are often asked to write an essay on Importance of Voting in Democracy in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Importance of Voting in Democracy

The essence of democracy.

Voting is the cornerstone of a democracy. It’s the tool that allows citizens to choose their leaders and voice their opinions on important issues.

Why Voting Matters

By voting, you get to influence the society you live in. It’s a way to ensure that your interests are represented in government.

The Power of Each Vote

Every vote counts. In many cases, elections have been decided by just a few votes. Therefore, your vote can make a real difference.

In summary, voting is a crucial component of democracy. So, always exercise your right to vote!

250 Words Essay on Importance of Voting in Democracy

The role of voting.

Voting is not just a right, but a duty and a moral responsibility. It is the most direct and effective way of participating in the democratic process. The vote of every citizen contributes to the formation of a government and the trajectory of the nation.

Empowering the Masses

Voting gives citizens the power to express their opinion and choose leaders who align with their views. It is a tool to effect change and ensure the government reflects the will of the people. Voting also empowers marginalized groups, providing an equal platform for their voices to be heard.

Accountability and Transparency

Voting ensures accountability and transparency in the democratic system. It acts as a check on the government, reminding them of their responsibility towards the electorate. If the government fails to deliver, voters have the power to change the administration in the next election.

The importance of voting in democracy cannot be overstated. It is the fundamental right and duty of every citizen to participate in this process. It is through voting that we shape our society, influence policies, and ensure the government serves the common good. By voting, we uphold the democratic values of freedom, equality, and justice.

500 Words Essay on Importance of Voting in Democracy

Introduction.

Democracy is a system of governance where citizens participate directly or indirectly in the decision-making process. At the heart of this system lies the act of voting, an essential tool through which citizens express their will, choose their leaders, and influence public policy. The importance of voting in a democratic society cannot be overstated as it forms the basis for the exercise of political and civil rights.

The Pillar of Democratic Governance

Instrument for social change.

Voting is not only a political act but also a tool for social change. It gives citizens the power to influence public policy and the direction of societal evolution. Through the ballot box, citizens can express their views on critical issues such as education, health, economy, and social justice. Voting, therefore, serves as a peaceful means of effecting change and shaping the society we want to live in.

Equality and Inclusivity

In a democracy, voting underscores the principle of equality. Regardless of social, economic, or cultural backgrounds, every citizen has an equal vote. This inclusivity strengthens social cohesion and fosters a sense of belonging among citizens. Moreover, it ensures that marginalized and underrepresented groups have a voice in the political process, thereby promoting social equity.

Responsibility of Citizenship

In conclusion, the act of voting is a cornerstone of democracy, serving as a tool for change, a symbol of equality, and a responsibility of citizenship. It gives power to the people, ensuring that the government remains accountable and responsive to their needs. Hence, for a democracy to be truly representative and effective, it is essential that citizens understand the importance of voting and actively participate in the electoral process. The future of our democratic society depends on the collective action of informed and engaged citizens.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

Happy studying!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

By the People: Essays on Democracy

Harvard Kennedy School faculty explore aspects of democracy in their own words—from increasing civic participation and decreasing extreme partisanship to strengthening democratic institutions and making them more fair.

Winter 2020

By Archon Fung , Nancy Gibbs , Tarek Masoud , Julia Minson , Cornell William Brooks , Jane Mansbridge , Arthur Brooks , Pippa Norris , Benjamin Schneer

The basic terms of democratic governance are shifting before our eyes, and we don’t know what the future holds. Some fear the rise of hateful populism and the collapse of democratic norms and practices. Others see opportunities for marginalized people and groups to exercise greater voice and influence. At the Kennedy School, we are striving to produce ideas and insights to meet these great uncertainties and to help make democratic governance successful in the future. In the pages that follow, you can read about the varied ways our faculty members think about facets of democracy and democratic institutions and making democracy better in practice.

Explore essays on democracy

Archon fung: we voted, nancy gibbs: truth and trust, tarek masoud: a fragile state, julia minson: just listen, cornell william brooks: democracy behind bars, jane mansbridge: a teachable skill, arthur brooks: healthy competition, pippa norris: kicking the sandcastle, benjamin schneer: drawing a line.

Get smart & reliable public policy insights right in your inbox. 

• Content Guidelines
• Privacy Policy

Essay on Democracy: Top 11 Essays | Forms | Government | Law

ADVERTISEMENTS:

Here is a compilation of essays on ‘Democracy’ for class 11 and 12. Find paragraphs, long and short essays on ‘Democracy’ especially written for school and college students.

Essay on Democracy

Essay Contents:

• Essay on the Merits and Demerits of Democracy in General

Essay # 1. Meaning of Democracy:

Democracy is a derivation from two Greek terms “Demos” and “Kratos”. The former word means the people and the latter word means power. So democracy means “power of the people”. In democracy the preeminent factor is the people. There the government is run by the people and the main concern is the welfare of the people.

Democracy has a great educative force, because it strives for the development of the personality of the citizens. So democracy is not only a form of government but a kind of upgraded society. These are the warp and woof of a culture which may be called democracy culture.

There are several definitions of democracy Lord James Bryce defined democracy:

“Democracy is that form of government in which the ruling power is vested not in any individual, or in a particular class or classes but in the members of the community as a whole.” Albert Venn Dicey characterised it as – “A form of government in which the governing body is comparatively a large fraction of the entire nation.” Abraham Lincoln gave the historic definition by calling democracy as “government by the people, of the people and for the people.”

Sir John Seeley gave a simple definition by describing democracy as- “A government in which everybody has a share.” For John Spencer Bassett- “Democracy is a political method by which every citizen has the opportunity of participating through discussion in an attempt to reach voluntary agreements as to what shall be done for the good of the community as a whole.” As a matter of fact, democracy is both a form of government and a way of life.

Although democracy has a definite and set method of its own, it has such a strong appeal that everybody and every institution tries to go by the name of democracy. The position has been nicely delineated by Carl J. Friedrich- “Democracy has been the battle cry of the twentieth century.”

Everyone is for democracy as he understands it. In the USA democracy means the existing scheme of things or some idealized version of it or even what the men of Philadelphia intended the constitution to be. In Britain too it means whatever one considers the government and politics of the country to be, but also more particularly what the Labour Party aspires to and has been seeking to accomplish, when it has been in power. In the USSR and communist China such American and British views are laughed at as reactionary.

According to each, their particular brand of communism is ‘true’ democracy. Such democracy presupposes a classless society and can only come after capitalism has been destroyed by the dictatorship of the proletariat since the end of the Second World War, and especially in the period of the Cold War these classes of outlook became acute.

Essay # 2. Forms of Democracy:

There are two kinds of democracy. They are:

(a) Direct democracy and

(b) Indirect democracy.

(a) Direct Democracy:

It takes the form of such government in which all the adult persons gather in a public place to make laws, pass budgets and elect the executive. This type of government was possible in small city-states of Greece where the entire population of the city could assemble. It is not suitable for a large state. According to Esmein- “Direct democracy simply involves an appeal from knowledge to ignorance and from responsibility to irresponsibility.”

More importantly, direct democracy might have been possible and desirable in small countries like ancient Greek and Roman city-states where population was very few and life was very simple. The system is not appropriate for modern large states which have a complex life.

The vastness of the modern state and its huge population and, above all, the large size of the electorate will make it unworkable and even impossible on financial and administrative reasons. Now it is to be found in five cantons of Switzerland.

(b) Indirect Democracy:

It is also called the representative form of democracy. It is that form of government in which the people themselves do not make the laws, pass the budget and elect the executive. In an indirect democracy the people elect their representatives and these representatives make laws, pass the budget and elect the executive. In all modern states democracies are indirect. Thus England, the USA, France and India have indirect democracy.

Essay # 3. Conditions Necessary for the Success of Democracy:

Democracy in the world is plagued by several maladies. As a cure, different philosophers have suggested different needs which include the reform of the electoral rolls, introduction of referendum, initiative and recall and increased cooperation of the people in the public affairs and improved capacity of the citizens.

But consensus among the political philosophers is that the following are the basic needs for the success of democracy:

1. Education:

A proper education is a must for the success of democracy. The sentinel of democracy is an educated and enlightened public opinion. Wide dissemination of knowledge and universalization of education is the pillar of democracy.

According to Dr Rajendra Prasad:

“Education is a power by itself and in any case a person bereft of it cannot have any chance of either realising himself to the full or making any effective or worthwhile impression on the policies and actions of the government of his country and region.”

Minus education, democracy will degenerate into mobocracy. Speaking at the Harvard University in 1987, Mr. Rajiv Gandhi asserted that in spite of widespread illiteracy, predominantly among the rural people, India could still be a democracy. He seemed to suggest that as far as democratic thoughts and exercise of wisdom, democratic rights and norms are concerned, common sense is more important than literacy.

A democracy without wisdom is a potential anarchy. Training in and education for democracy is of the utmost importance if our conception of freedom is to prevail, for, as the Archbishop of York stated in the British House of Lords on 15 July 1942 – “The most dangerous of all forms of government is that of an uneducated democracy. It has no power of criticism and is at the mercy of any demagogue and of any dictator.”

2. Vigilance:

Eternal vigilance is not the price of liberty atone. It is a price of democracy too. It makes demand on ordinary citizens to take part. But the lazy people say – “Oh! Leave it to someone else” . But if they leave it to someone else, sooner or later they may fall under a dictatorship and that will be fatal. Alertness on the part of the citizens is another big foundation of democracy. Without it, democracy will be usurped by the demagogues.

The Germans lost their democracy during the time of Adolf Hitler for want of constant vigil on the rights of the people of Germany. Hitler cleverly raised the dream of democracy before the people only to crush it. Unfortunately, for the want of alertness on the part of the people they could be so easily played into the hands of a potential dictator. This should be an eye-opener for all right thinking democrats.

Let us have a look into Bangladesh. That country established democracy in 1971. But soon the Bangladesh army liquidated the freedom-loving Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and captured power. Once again the wily politicians met with the same fate and put the country under military dictatorship.

This had been possible because there was no political awareness among the general people of Bangladesh. What happened in Pakistan and Bangladesh will not take place in England or the USA because there the people are politically conscious. This political vigilance is a must in a democracy.

3. Decentralisation of Political Powers:

Democracy functions effectively if there is a hierarchy of powers from the centre to the village unit. This kind of elaborate system of local self-government will train the people in the art and science of the government. Thus more power should be decentralised into the Panchayats and civic bodies. This type of democratisation of the institutions will minimise the scope of anybody to misuse the mechanism of the government.

Perhaps there is no better suggestion on it than that given by Dr K. N. Katju – “If I have my way, I would enact a law which would prescribe that no person should be elected to a legislature unless he or she had worked either in a municipality or in a Panchayat for minimum period of three years. A municipality gives the necessary experience in administration and tests in the individual members as to whether they would really serve the people or serve themselves.”

4. Civic Sense:

In a democracy the maximum participation of the citizenry is assured. There is a corresponding civic responsibility from the side of the citizens. The citizens should have high sense of moral rectitude. If the citizens idle away their responsibility there is an end to democracy.

In the absence of selfless devotion to the public good, democracy is maimed. Democracy is indeed a difficult government, because it presupposes civic capacity on the part of the citizens. According to Lord James Bryce, this capacity consists in “intelligence, self-control and conscience.” So Mrs. Indira Gandhi rightly said – “Democracy is the best form of government, but it is certainly the most difficult”

5. Spirit of Tolerance:

Democracy is a government of the majority. What should be the attitude of the majority towards the minority? It should be one of sympathy and tolerance. A religious and linguistic majority must not disrespect the similar sentiments of the minority. The majority must hear the view-point of the other people.

According to Mahatma Gandhi – “Evolution of democracy is not possible, if we are not prepared to hear the other side. We shut the doors of reasons when we refuse to listen to our opponents, or having listened, make fun of them. If intolerance becomes a habit we run the risk of missing the truth.”

According to Rajiv Gandhi – “Democracy means discussion. There is no place of violence in a democratic set-up. Tolerance is necessary for the success of democracy.” Thus democratic virtue is humility, because humility is needed for tolerance. But here is one thing the democrat cannot tolerate, namely injustice. His vigilant sympathy must be directed against all kinds of injustice.

6. Freedom of Speech Association Arid Press:

The bedrock of democracy is freedom of speech, association and press. If not democratic personality of a citizen cannot be fully blossomed. Democracy demands that all sections of the people should be taken into confidence as far as practicable. Mr. Rajiv Gandhi said – “Dialogue is the essence of democracy. In giving power to the people we have engaged in the most extensive process of consultation since independence”.

If there is no individual liberty there is no democracy. This liberty includes the freedom to freely and without fear express the views either in a public speech or in newspapers and other literary media. Man is a gregarious animal and as such there must be a guarantee of free association to mobilise public opinion. These are the three levers of democracy.

7. A Written Constitution Containing Fundamental Rights:

A written constitution is better than an unwritten one, because in it all the powers of the authorities and the rights of the citizens are put in black and white. If there is no written constitution, the rights of the people will be vague and uncertain. Fortunately, the constitutions of India, France, Australia and the USA have written provisions in which the fundamental rights are guaranteed.

Although the constitution of England is an unwritten one the fundamental rights are enshrined in the Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights. If the guaranteed rights of the citizens are taken away by any authority, the people can depose the government and establish a better one.

8. Separation of Power:

The theory of separation of power came as a safeguard of democracy. It enables different departments of government to act as checks and balances against each other’s power. It guarantees the equal representation in the sharing of power to every section of the government.

According to Charles-Louis Montesquieu, the father of this theory, concentration of powers of law-making and law-enforcing and law-interpreting in the hands of one person or body will be the very definition of tyranny. In operational terms this theory requires certain sequence in the functioning of the government. The legislature, in this system, should have, an open debate on the subject and pass it by a majority decision.

In the second stage the executive has to translate it into action. Judicial review will come in the third stage, in case there is an excess of arbitrariness in so executing the will of the legislature in the executive. The third stage by the most important check in this system, since the executive very often bypasses the legislature.

9. Opposition Party:

An effective opposition party is a shield of democracy. This is well stated by Lord Clement Attlee – “Democracy owes a good deal to the attacks of its opponents because it makes us conscious of what our democracy is.” Actually the opposition party works as the mirror of the government and enables the government to correct the wrongs.

According to Chakravarty Rajagopalachari:

“A strong opposition is essential for the health of democratic government In a democracy based on universal suffrage, government by the majority without an effective opposition in like driving a donkey, on whose back you put the whole load in one bundle. The two-party system steadies movement by putting a fairly equal load into each pannier. In the human body, two eyes and two ears enable a person to place the objects seen and heard. A single party democracy soon loses its sense of proportion. It sees but cannot place things in perspective or apprehend all sides of a question”.

10. Democracy is a Myth without Economic Equality:

It implies that there must be an economic democracy for the success of political democracy. If money is allowed to be accumulated in the hands of the rich few, how can the poor effectively exercise their democratic rights? It is said that in England the Bank of England rules and the USA has a dollar democracy.

This economic inequality eats out the vitals of democracy. If there is a right to work, a right to minimum wages and if the industries and big businesses are taken over and run by the government, democracy stands on a better footing.

11. Fearlessness:

The democratic people must be fearless and brave. Timid people do not deserve it. The most essential prerequisite for the successful functioning of democracy is that the people must be strong and courageous. If love for freedom dies in the hearts of the people, they will lose the ability to say “no” to an unprincipled direction of the boss and will compromise their dignity and human values for paltry gains. In such a condition democracy cannot survive. They must ceaselessly and fearlessly criticise the government that seeks to trample their liberties.

It is a truism that any political party, when it comes to power, tends to behave less democratically, for the power it acquires has a corrupting influence. The people must, there for, be always vigilant to their rights fearlessly. Otherwise, they will be in danger of losing their freedom.

Citizens’ Participation in Democracy:

One of the essential features of the government is the enlightenment of the citizens. This enlightened outlook enables the citizens to have meaningful participation in the democratic process. This participation may be positive by supporting the government in power. It may also take a negative form by protesting and opposing the government in power.

This participation may be at various levels of involvement. In order to make the participation effective and bring in a real input in the system, there should be freedom of expression. The freedom of the press and the mass communication media should become forums for free expression of views. The right to protest against the action of the government is a fundamental right and proper assertion of this right keeps the government on the democratic path of not only being responsible but also responsive.

It may be noted that the concept of civil disobedience of Henry David Thoreau from whom Gandhi learned the political movement of civil disobedience is an expression of the right of protesting against the actions of a government.

In a democracy the political system works on delicate balance which is maintained by acting on the enlightened and informed criticism. Thus in order to secure a meaningful participation of the enlightened people, the citizens should have access to and knowledge of all the affairs of the administration. Otherwise they will lose the status of citizens and will be reduced to the position of “subjects”.

According to Thomas Jefferson, the citizens have the right to “alter” or even “abolish” the government when it becomes “destructive”. President Woodrow Wilson went to the extent of asserting that, “If we forget how to object, how to resist, how to agitate, how to pull down and build up, even to the extent of revolutionary practices, we shall forget the very principles of our origin.”

Essay # 4. Democracy in India:

History of democracy in india:.

It is well-established that democracy as a form of polity and as a way of life is not at all alien to the Indian soil. Indian civilisation through the ages has been based on some of the most foundational norms of democracy like that of the role of the elected representatives in the social system and the equality and weal of all men and women.

With the ancient sabhas and samitis and their highly sophisticated procedures, the elective kingships, the republics, the janapadas and the village panchayats, gram sabhas and gram sanghas, India may be said to have been the cradle or the home of democracy and to have given the democratic ideals to the rest of the world.

The Rigveda and the Atharvaveda also speak of the assembly of the whole people (the samiti), the council of elders (the sabhas) and elected kings. This shows that democracy as later practised in Greece was already in existence in ancient Indian polity. It cannot, however, be denied that the modern concepts and structural patterns of democracy developed only during the nineteenth century in the West and influenced the evolution of the democratic norms and institutions everywhere.

India is a Democratic Country:

There is no doubt that India is a democratic country. The adult citizens of India after every five years, through secret ballots, elect their representatives in the Lok Sabha which is the lower house of the people. The ministers are chosen from among the members. The council of ministers is answerable to the Lok Sabha collectively. There are some rights which are considered fundamental and the courts of law, particularly the Supreme Court of India is the guardian of the fundamental rights.

All people are considered equal in the eye of law and there is no discrimination between man and man on grounds of religion, language, caste or sex. The President is the constitutional head like the Queen of England, while the Prime Minister is the real political executive. Any Indian can stand as a candidate for the post of the President or Prime Minister, no matter whether he is rich or poor, Hindu or Muslim.

Indian democracy is said to be better than even that of England and the USA. If India had followed the Margaret Thatcher brand of democracy, Mrs Indira Gandhi would have continued her emergency spell for a longer period. This was not possible because India has a written constitution.

British democracy, on the other hand, has been senile and many people are demanding a written Bill of Rights and an elected upper house in place of the House of Lords, which is packed with cronies of former Prime Ministers. Indian democracy will never accept such a situation. That India has a better democracy than that of the USA is brought home by Lord Clement Attlee – “India has practised democracy on a scale that even put the United States of America in the shade.”

India is the lighthouse of the democratic movement in the third world. The entire Afro-Asian world derives its democratic model of government from India. We conclude with the observation of Lord Clement Attlee – “Whenever there is a democratic movement in Asia and Africa too, they look to India, because India is the spear-point of democracy in Asia. India might have taken the torch from Europe, but it is burning brightly in India’s hands.”

Hindrances (Obstacles) for Democracy:

The above discussion must not blind us about the hindrances that are plaguing the growth and healthy functioning of democracy in India. These are by and large religious evils associated with ignorance and superstitions. In spite of outward pretension to secularism, our rulers are rather of medieval mentality and obscurantist to the core.

Even after forty-five years of independence, the Sati, child sacrifice, congregation of millions to wash their sins in the Ganga, and religious rivalry are very much in evidence.

The progressive erosion of English education is closing the windows through which we could look out into the world of science. Whenever a Hindi film heroine is in difficulty, she goes to a temple to pray and immediately God showers blessings on her! Such blind faith has stifled the spirit of enquiry and lulled us into inaction. We build more temples, mosques and gurdwaras than schools, libraries and hospitals.

Like many Muslim countries, fundamentalism has raised its ugly head in India. The Sankaracharya of Puri considers Sati a sacred act. Such a person should have no place in a civilised society, but here he has millions of followers. Thus some evil aspects of Hinduism are also responsible for retarding the growth of democracy in India.

It is common knowledge that Hinduism, as distinct from Christianity, is characterised by a hereditary caste system that runs completely counter to the spirit of democracy. Thus, we see that over every government proposal to abolish the caste system an alarm is raised by people on the upper rungs of the caste ladder.

Even the Marxist leaders, who are upper caste Hindus, yoke caste and communism together instead of trying to abolish the former. Reservation of jobs in service and places of educational institutions for backward castes could not have been justified in terms of democracy but for the recognition of caste distinctions in our society. Social reforms like abolition of caste system must be carried out first for Hinduism to survive with dignity before its first traditions and practices are upheld in the interest of democracy.

Essay # 5. Liberal Democracy and Socialist Democracy :

Democracy may be either of liberal brand or of socialist type. Both groups calls themselves the real democrats, calling others undemocratic. This is so because the term democracy is a very elastic conception. This made Bernard Crick remark – “Democracy is perhaps the most promiscuous word in the World of public affairs.” Let us first know the genesis and characteristics of both the expressions and then go to study their difference.

Genesis and Characteristics of Liberal Democracy:

It is not possible to define liberal democracy. We can point out some fundamental features of liberal democracy. S. E. Finer and Alan Ball, the two exponents of the expression liberal democracy, have different sets of characteristics for this sort of democracy.

For Finer, liberal democracy has four salient features. The first characteristic feature of liberal democracy is an elected legislature, sometimes with an elected head of state. The legislature represents public opinion through free elections, freedoms of speech, press, assembly and association.

The second important feature is its accountability of the consultative and advisory bodies to the legislature. The third element of the system is the social and economic checks and balances through a network of centres of private power.

The fourth hallmark of liberal democracy is a system of political checks and balances in three ways:

(1) Separation of powers which means that the government should be organised into three organs, namely – the executive, the legislature and the judiciary, each with different spheres of activities;

(2) Division of legislature into two houses called the upper house and the lower house; and

(3) A two-tier governmental functions, one for the centre and the other for the provinces.

Alan Ball, the other authority on liberal democracy, assigns to it the following seven elements. First, there must be multiple political parties to compete for political power. Second, such competition for political power must be free and open. Third, it is open to all to stand as a candidate for any post of political power. Fourth, there will be elections at regular intervals on the basis of universal adult suffrage. Fifth, there will exist civil liberties like freedom of speech, freedom of movement and freedom of religion.

The press, radio and television, which are agencies of public media, will not be under the exclusive control of the government. Sixth, there will operate some kind of separation of powers between the executive, legislature and the judiciary. The seventh hallmark is the pressure groups which will assert themselves in regulating the policy decisions of the government. The government will not control the trade union and other associations.

A wide range of population scattered over all the continents is covered by liberal democracy. England, France, the USA, India, Japan have liberal democracy.

Marx’s Theory of Democracy and the Genesis and Characteristics of Socialist Democracy:

The political form of the socialist state is called socialist democracy. A socialist state may be democratic or dictatorship in political nature. When the political form is democracy, it is called socialist democracy.

Distinguished from liberal democracy, which the Marxists call bourgeois democracy which is marked by private ownership of means of production with the inherent exploitation of the poor by the rich, the Marxists consider socialist democracy as the only genuine democracy because there is no exploitation of one class by other since there is complete public ownership of means of production. The other shining aspect of it is that the citizens are given economic rights.

There is a popular belief that Marx was an anathema for democracy. In effect, Marx was a believer in democracy, of course in his own way. Marx wanted to replace the existing democracy which he called bourgeois democracy, a concept equated with what we call liberalist view of democracy.

Marx called his democracy “socialist democracy”. Marx also wanted his democracy to be a rule by the people. But he gave different connotation of people. For him, it does not include the rich exploiters, feudal lords or similar other stocks. His people include only the proletariat class i.e. the working class. The power must belong to the workers and the peasants, who will establish the dictatorship of the proletariat. This will be built on the debris of capitalism.

Marx appreciated the liberal democratic system in as much as it terminated the era of feudalism. Liberal democracy, in its turn, will be replaced by socialist democracy in which there will be no unemployment, starvation, poverty or anything of like nature. The Marxist democracy has three aspects – social, economic and political.

In the social plank, it will obliterate class contradictions; in the economic front, it will establish common ownership of the means of production and distribution of goods; and in the political arena, it will establish the rule of the people through their free and voluntary associations called the Soviets.

To say in the words of Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels:

“In place of the old bourgeois society, with its classes and class antagonism, we shall have an association in which the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all”.

The Marxian theory of democracy underlined the need for economic equality which is a must for a socialist democracy. Marx and Engels in The Communist Manifesto recommended ten measures for adoption by the progressive countries of the world.

(i) Expropriation of landed property;

(ii) Heavily graduated income tax;

(iii) The abolition of all right of inheritance;

(iv) The confiscation of property of emigrants and rebels;

(v) The centralisation of credit in the hands of the state;

(vi) Centralised control of the means of communication and transportation;

(vii) Increase in the number of state-owned factories;

(viii) Equal liability of all to labour work;

(ix) Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries; and

(x) Free public education.

The Marxists believe that with the implementation of the above measures, economic power would be equi-distributed and economic equality will be ensured. Thus the Marxian democracy is nothing but economic democracy.

Alan Ball suggests the following four elements as the basic features of socialist democracy. In the first place, there shall be a socialist ideology formulated and espoused by the government. In the second place, there will be complete public control in all avenues of life, political, social and economic.

In the third place, there is total absence of separation of powers and total denial of independence of judiciary. Finally, there shall be only one political party which is identifiable with the government.

Essay # 6. Difference between Liberal Democracy and Socialist Democracy:

Liberal democracy and socialist democracy differ on the following points. In the first place, unlike private property which exists with liberal democracy, there is no private property in socialists democracy. In socialist democracy, the means of production are complete public ownership.

In the second place, in a liberal democracy the people are given only political and civil rights like right to property, right to freedom of speech and expression which are not available in a socialist democracy. In contrast, the people are assured right to work, rest and right to security in old age, which are a far cry in liberal democracy.

In the third place, the print media like newspapers and electronic media like cinema, television are in the firm grip of the government in a socialist democracy, while these are left free in liberal democracy.

In the fourth place, the governmental noose is tightened over the trade union and voluntary associations in the case of socialist democracy. In juxtaposition, liberal democracy prefers not to interfere in those areas.

In the fifth place, liberal democracy permits any number of political parties as required. But in a socialist democracy there is only one political party.

Last, but not the least, is that the concept of separation of power with independence of judiciary is enthroned in liberal democracy. In a socialist democracy, the difference between the executive, legislature and judiciary is totally obliterated.

Essay # 7. Difference between Socialist Democracy and Democratic Socialism:

Although socialist democracy and democratic socialism look very much alike, they are quite different cups of tea. Socialist democracy is a kind of democracy. It is more socialist and less democratic. Its goal is socialism. In contrast, democratic socialism is more democratic and less socialist.

Socialist democracy is opposed to liberal democracy. Democratic socialism, on the other hand, is not opposed to liberal democracy and at times the two are almost the same. Democratic socialism is a kind of socialism which abjures violence and attains socialism by peaceful means as against the use of force. Otherwise, it is a half-way socialism in as much as it believes in private property, more than one political party and allows private bodies to control the means of production.

It is liberal socialism, because it upholds the concept of separation of power and maintains the dignity of independence of judiciary. England, the USA, France and India are examples of democratic socialism, because in these countries the government has a welfare programme very much like socialism and at the same time keeping all the trappings of liberalism like free press, free political party, free elections on the basis of universal adult franchise and private property for the citizens and allowing both private and public bodies to control the means of production.

In all these counties the power is captured by a non-violent method through secret ballots, as against use of force which is the method of the Marxists capturing power. There is definitely exploitation of one class by another. So in this way we find democratic socialism merging with liberal democracy. The example of socialist democracy is People’s Republic of China and the now defunct the USSR. In both these countries socialism in its full blast existed.

Essay # 8. Classical Theory of Democracy:

The basic theory of democracy, as it is handed down to us by the Greeks, is rule by the people. Pericles called it “people’s power” and Herodotus explained – “Rulers are accountable to the people for what they do therein.” In the eighteenth century Roussueau underlined the popular participatory aspect of it and following him, John Stuart Mill also highlighted people’s participation in the governance of the country as the best form of government.

Although Rousseau and Mill were the principal votaries of the classical theory of democracy, they were joined by several other political thinkers like John Locke, Edmund Burke, Jeremy Bentham, Thomas Green, Albert Ven Dicey, James Bryce, A. D. Lindsay and Harold J. Laski. Since Rousseau and Mill gave a complete picture of classical theory, we shall discuss their views as the basic features of the classic theory of democracy.

Classical Theory of Democracy as given by Rousseau:

Rousseau gave a very clear exposition of the classical theory of democracy by emphasising on the individual’s participation in the policy making functions of the government.

The following are the details of what he meant by participatory democratic theory:

(i) In all major decisions of the government an individual citizen must have his say;

(ii) Individual participation will ensure protection of private property and good government;

(iii) Participation will prove that he is master of himself and not slave of somebody’s decision;

(iv) By participating in the public life, an individual will enhance his prestige as a member of the community;

(v) This will induce him to evolve socially responsible actions and as such, the participation will have educative value;

(vi) The participatory process will lead to economic equality and freedom.

According to Rousseau:

“No citizen shall be rich enough to buy another and none as poor as to be forced to sell himself”.

Classical Theory of Democracy as given by Mill:

James Stuart Mill buttressed Rousseau’s classicism and fitted it into the modern state.

The following are the main planks of Mill’s participatory process:

(i) Following Rousseau, Mill wanted that the individual should take public interest to widen his outlook;

(ii) Participation must begin at home i.e., in local bodies on a limited scale and then application of the experience in bigger experiments;

(iii) The most capable person should be voted to power. This public responsibility requires education. An educated person should have more votes than the uneducated ones;

(iv) Mill wanted that the participatory functions should be extended to the industries;

(v) Individual right is so remarkable that the opinion of the entire nation cannot and should not silence the minority decision.

Defects of People’s Participation:

Critics attack the participa­tory process on the following counts:

In the first place, if the uninterested and ill-informed people are asked to participate in the policy making functions of the government, it will do more harm than good.

In the second place, no state has gained by increasing the number of voters, if the voters are not enlightened and dutiful. Best few must be better than bad many. The illiterate voters misuse their votes and even sell their votes. This will bring democracy to its knees.

In the third place, the elitists believe that the art of politics might better be left to the most enlightened minority. Leadership of the country cannot be left to the voters. This will create chaos and confusion.

In the fourth place, if the voters themselves are to evolve the defence and foreign policy, it will be a bad day for democracy. This will result in the tyranny of the masses. This will be unworkable in a vast modern state.

Conclusion:

Lack of representation will make the government in the hands of unresponsive and unscrupulous persons and will thereby weaken the political system. With the loss of participation, political education will be on the low key. Whether it is possible or not, our ideal should be to have individual participation. A least in the field of ideology, participatory democracy is the best one.

Elitist Theory of Democracy:

The elitist theory of democracy is the opposite term of classical theory of democracy. We have noted that the emphasis of the classical theory of democracy is on the participatory process of each and every individual citizen. All should have a say in the policy making function of the government.

In contrast, the elitists believe that only a few persons are enlightened and efficient enough to run the government and so these privileged few, who are more intelligent, should alone be invited to hold on the reins of political power. Thus a minority of population will rule over the majority of the population.

The term elite stands for the chosen element in the population. All men are not equal. Some are more equal. Actually these ‘more equals’ constitute the elite. Suzanne Keller defined the elites as: “Elites are those minorities which are set apart from the rest of society by their preeminence in one or more of these various distributions.”

This idea is as old as the Greek political thinker of fourth century B.C., namely Plato. In his Republic, Plato reserved political power for the philosophers so much so that he believed that the evils of the society can be removed only if the philosophers made the rulers.

To say in his words – “Until philosophers are rulers the cities will have no rest from their evils.” In the system of slavery, the freemen who are elites ruled over the slaves and in the feudal system the barons ruled over the serfs. In today’s South Africa, the minority whites are ruling over the black majority. The elitists support a kind of aristocracy or oligarchy.

The authors of the elitist theory are two Italian sociologists, namely Vilfredo Pareto and Gaetano Mosca. Later on a disciple of Mosca, Robert Michels, developed the theory in Germany. Then came four more elitists in the scene. They are O.Y. Gasset, James Burnham, C. Wright Mills and Harold Lasswell. According to Pareto, the present history is the history of the relation between the elite and the non-elites. The much more numerous class acquiesces in subordination to the elites who rule over them.

The elites have all the qualities of the lion and fox. We know that Machiavelli made his prince the embodiment of the fox and the lion. Robert Michels openly uses the word oligarchy to explain his view of the elitist – “He who says organisation, says tendency to oligarchy. The machinery of organisation completely inverts ‘iron law of oligarchy’.

James Burnham and C. Wright Mills are of the view that economic and social power was the most pivotal factors in the game of elite letting down the non-elites. They took their cue from Marxism. The elitist theory starts with the premise that there is an inherent inequality among the people, politically, economically and socially and that the chosen element of the population must have an exalted position in the society.

It is in this context that Maurice Duverger suggested that the erstwhile theory of government by the people should be replaced by government by the elite sprung from the people. This chosen element is found in a family club, trade union, bureaucracy and armed forces too. The elites grow up as a result of heredity, skill in arts and literature, position in ruling class and bureaucracy. They have both material affluence and physical strength.

Criticism of the Elitist Theory of Democracy:

The following sharp criticisms are levelled against the elitist theory:

(i) The elitist theory supports inequality and moves the slate-craft in the back gear. It encourages racial discrimination of the type of apartheid in South Africa.

(ii) It ignores the mass people who are the very basis of democracy.

(iii) It cuts the society into two artificial blocs by driving the wedge between two artificial segments of people.

(iv) It concentrates powers in the hands of the bureaucracy without any definite authority to supervise over it. The system is bound to degenerate into corruption and final ruin of the nation. As Lord Acton said: “Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

(v) The privileged few to have the monopoly of power is nothing short of oligarchy or aristocracy. There cannot be any such oligarchic element or aristocracy in democracy.

(vi) All major revolutions of the world took place in protest against the privileges enjoyed by the chosen few in exclusion of the mass people. So, the elitist theory is danger mark in political system.

Although as an ideal we cannot support the elitist theory of democracy, in practice it is an admitted fact that in all forms of government the switchboard of power is in the hands of the elites, because they are efficient and most competent to do so. It is true that inequality is bad, it is equally true that inequality is the order of the day everywhere. So although we may not support elitism, there is no way out.

Essay # 9. Constitutional Democracy:

Division of power is the basis of constitutional democracy. This is also called constitutionalism. Constitutionalism may be monarchical or it may be republican, it may be aristocratic or democratic. When the people of America speak of “democracy” they usually mean constitutional democracy. Of course there are those who would define democracy simply as the rule of the majority without any constitutional framework within which such majority decisions are to be made.

Such absolute democracy is, however, rare in the history of political institutions and nowhere to be found in contemporary Europe or America. Constitutionalism is an achievement of the modern world. It is a very recent achievement and it has by no means became stabilised.

Essay # 10. Merits and Demerits of Direct Democracy:

Like all institutions and concepts in political science direct democracy has both bright and dark sides. The other name of direct democracy is pure democracy.

Merits of Direct Democracy:

The most remarkable advantage of a direct democracy is that it offers direct participation of the citizens in the affairs of the government. The logic in support of direct democracy is that if democracy is a government by the people it must be given to the people directly and completely. Otherwise, democracy will not function effectively. In that sense, the representative democracy or indirect democracy is to be rejected as half-democracy.

Secondly, if the people are directly involved in the formation of the government, in making law or similar key roles in the run of the administration, they will take more and lively interest in public affairs. It is seen that when the final task is done by another set of people, the former set of people do not take much interest in it, because they feel that there are some other persons to give it final shape.

It is pointed out that, by keeping an intermediate body between the people and the government, a representative democracy or indirect democracy establishes a gap between the people and the government. This is against the very spirit of democracy.

Demerits of Direct Democracy:

The most serious demerit of direct democracy is that it is out-dated and out-molded and not at all suitable for a modern state which is very vast and so cannot be brought under the umbrella of direct democracy. No doubt there was a time in the past when the small states in Greece and Rome were directly and efficiency ruled by the people. Such tiny states are no longer available in the modern world.

Today’s states are very vast with a huge population. Let us take the case of India, one of the largest democracies of the world. How can all the people of India gather together in one place and make laws for the whole of India?

There is no such big area to accommodate all the people of India. Again, if all the people go to that place to make laws for India, who will look after their jobs like cultivation, works in the factory, teaching in the educational institutions, etc.? This will create chaos and confusion all over the county. So, on the ground of inexpediency, the pure democracy is to be discarded.

Secondly, if the entire population is to run the government from making law to its implementation, we are to assume that all people are equally intelligent and equally capable for all such work. But our experience is that all people are not equal in calibre. It is a common knowledge that the fools, idiots, beggars, the illiterate mass have no capacity to understand the art and science of government. It will be too much to strain their efforts to carry on the administration.

It is a fact that some people are more trained and capable in running the government. So they alone should be given the job. They can be directly elected by the people and as the representatives of the people they will carry on the political game.

A secondary body like this is also necessary to check the passion and impulses of the common people. It is seen that the mass people go by passion, not by reason. Their representatives, who will be more reasoned and seasoned, should be given the task of running the country.

Essay # 11. Merits and Demerits of Democracy in General:

Merits of democracy:.

First, democracy is ethically sound because it is opposed to the idea of one man ruling over another man. In a democracy no individual or a group of individuals but the entire community is vested with sovereign power. According to John Dewey – “The foundation of democracy is faith in the capacities of human nature, faith in human intelligence and in the power of pooled cooperative existence.”

Only that person is said to be free who possesses a vote and shares in determining state policy and electing the government. John Stuart Mill said – “What toucheth all should also be decided by all.”

Secondly, democracy promotes the common welfare of the people Democracy caters to the needs of all because all shades of opinion represent the government. In such a system, a citizen is the ruler and at the same time the subject and thereby it conforms to the axiom that a just government is a government by consent of the governed.

In this context John Stuart Mill said:

“The participation in governmental affairs lift the individual above the narrow circle of his egoism and broadens his interests. Democracy makes an individual interested in his country and gives him a sense of responsibility.”

Thirdly, it is in democracy that the concept of rule of law can have a full play. According to this concept, which came from England, nobody is above law and everything must be done in accordance with the mandates of law. This principle is not only a replacement of the personal rule of a King but also a brake on the misuse of power by the government or any authority.

Fourthly, democracy nurses the spirit of patriotism and nationalism of the people and evokes spontaneous obedience to law. In a democracy the people feel that they themselves are the government and the nation rolled into one.

This is rightly stated by John Stuart Mill:

“Democracy strengthens the love of country, because the citizens feel that the government is their own creation and the rulers their servants rather than masters.” This idea tinctures into them a spirit of patriotism and nationalism.

Fifthly, a democratic form of government cannot be tyrannical or oppressive, because it is responsible to the people at large. In a democracy the government is voted to power by the people and is answerable for its actions and policies to the rock-bottom of the people. If the government fails to fulfil the aspirations of the people, it will be overthrown by the people in the next election. Again, there are free press and strong opposition which keep the government on guard.

If the ruling party goes astray it will be outvoted in a vote of no-confidence. So a democratic form of government is a responsible government. In defence of democracy John Stuart Mill wrote – “The whole people or some numerous portion of them exercise; the governing power through deputies periodically elected by them.”

Sixthly, a change in the government in a democracy is effected not in a violent way but through a peaceful method and thereby ensures a stability in administration. No other form of government has such a peaceful transition. When a revolution took place in England in 1688 to replace the disliked King James II by Willaim III, this was done without inviting any bloodshed. So democracy is capable of meeting this type of national crisis peacefully.

This is a singular advantage of the democratic form of government.

So A. D. Lindsay rightly maintained:

“A democratic society sure of itself can be indefinitely elastic in its methods. It can, as in a time of crisis, give enormous powers into the hands of the government, in cheerful confidence that, the crisis past, it can take them away.”

But this is not possible in any other type of government. This peaceful transition’ makes the government durable. As R. G. Gettel rightly observed – “Popular intelligence and virtue are its most valuable results. Popular election, popular control and popular responsibility ensure not only efficiency in government but also stability in the state.”

Seventhly, democracy guarantees equality and liberty. Democracy makes no discrimination between the high and the low, the rich and the poor, and the wise and the fools and throws open all the opportunities, in the state to all the citizens of the state. Freedoms of all types are thereby ensured to all the citizens.

There is equal treatment for the son of a minister and the son of a peon in a democratic state. Similarly, the Hindus and the Muslims, or, for that matter, all men of different faiths, are never discriminated in the enjoyment of liberties. So John Stuart Mill emphasised – “Democracy is superior to other forms of government because the rights and interests of every person are secure from being disregarded.”

Eighthly, democracy ensures openness. One of the characteristics of democracy is its openness. The people value the performance of such democratic norm on the basis of availability of information, which they gather from a free press. Again, in the protests of the opposition and the public pressures made in the legislature are found other guarantees of openness of the government in a democracy. The parliamentary control over public policy through democratic debates preserve the endurance of the government.

The dictatorial or a totalitarian system, on the other hand, operates in the mystiques of secrecy. In such a system, politics is rather exclusive and insulated. Thus dictatorship follows the guarded path, as a result of which the administration becomes a professional hideout of secrecy and confidential activities.

In such a system popular participation in the administration is absent and the committed model of bureaucracy keeps public administration loyal, efficient and secrecy-oriented. There stricted norms of secrecy are demanded and adhered to in public interests. But this keeps the government weak because it has no knowledge of what the people are thinking of the government. Since there is everything open in a democracy, the government knows the pulse of the nation. That is why there is practically no revolt or coup d’etat which is very common in dictatorship.

Finally, democracy contains a unique educational value and an assurance for freedom. Democracy goes hand in hand with education and self-government. All citizens are trained in the lesson of making laws, enforcing them and how to contribute their utmost in the welfare of the state.

Both the ruling and the opposition parties bring the benefits of political education at the national, provincial and village levels. In a democracy the entire nation is graded from the top to the bottom with the lessons of political education and self-government.

Demerits of Democracy:

In 1900, democracy was looked upon as the final form of government for all civilised states. It was assumed that all policies on social, economic and international aims came within the framework of democratic government. But many an African and Asian countries that attained independence and established democracy as the form of government had to give up and surrender to military dictatorship.

There the “Humpty Dumpty” of democracy “had a great fall” and were replaced by dictatorships. These threw challenge to the bases on which democracy as a form of government stands. These were indications that all was not well with democracy. As moon has its dark spots, democracy always does not present a totally rosy picture.

The major drawback of democracy is that its accent of emphasis is on quantity rather than quality and thereby democracy imposes the tyranny of the brute majority. It does not recognise the inherent inequality in the calibre or wisdom which differs from man to man as a biological fact.

Thus when quality is ignored and the idiots are brought into prominence, democracy becomes a government by the ignorant and the unintellectual. So H. L. Mencken accused democracy for standardising life on a low level as if all wisdom lies with the inferior four-fifths of mankind. A. J. Carlyle called this multitude “mostly foolish”. The brute majority of mechanism established the rule of the fools over the intelligent ones who are in the minority. Thus what we get in a democracy is simply the tyranny of the people on the ground that they are in the majority.

This type of tyranny has a tendency to curtail the liberty of the individuals. Thus in India in the name of internal security or defence of India the people are locked up in jails without trial. It is for this reason that William Edward Lecky condemned democracy as opposed to liberty.

Secondly, democracy breeds inefficiency and corruption. In a democracy the administration is as slow as snails. It is marked by the red-tapsism of the bureaucrats in a way that everybody’s business is nobody’s business. It is for this reason that Emile Faguet calls democracy as “cult of incompetence”. The other inherent flaw of democracy is that it is incapable of meeting any emergent situation like the First World War and the Second World War, with the result that many democratic countries had to assume dictatorial power to meet the war situation.

The elements of corruption in democracy are “spoil-system”, “lobbying” and “log-rolling”. The self-seeking leaders enter into coalition with seemingly unacceptable parties and to stay on power by distributing offices and various kinds of favouritism Thus democracy is a breeding ground of inefficiency, nepotism, jobbery and favouritism. So Jawaharlal Nehru complained – “The speed of change in a democracy is obviously somewhat slower. The processes are slower than in an autocracy or authoritarianism.”

Thirdly, democracy encourages unhealthy party politics and discourages literary and artistic activities. In a democracy things are seen not with one’s own eyes but through the eyes of the party bosses. So the party-men falsify facts, distort issues, make false propaganda and appeal to the emotions of the masses. Not only that. It is indifferent to the cause of education, literature and fine arts. So all great centres of education were established under the patronage of the absolute monarchy.

The famous literatures like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata did not flourish under democracy. The same is true with regard to the architectures and sculptures of Ellora, Ajanta and the Taj Mahal. So C. D. Burns is of the view that – “Democracy produces a civilisation which is banal, mediocre or dull.”

Fourthly, democracy is an expensive plutocracy. The decentralisation of government for the sake of self-government and the entire election system are very expensive. Thus huge money is spent in the general elections or the presidential election and the election of the civic bodies.

Thus it is burdensome and very often grinding on the developing countries. Democracy does not ensure liberty or equality. In effect, in a democracy the rich classes and ambitious leaders exploit the ignorant and the simple masses for their selfish gains. So Freitschke called democracy “a corrupt dollar worshipping plutocracy or oligarchy of the rich.” Well condemned American democracy as “corrupt plutocracy”.

The merits of democracy must outweigh its demerits. Democracy stands for life and progress. Under favourable conditions it gives encouragement to self-reliance, initiative and responsibility. It holds authority in trust and guarantees equal considerations for all.

According to J. W. Goethe, democracy must be recommended as the best form of government because – “What is the best government? That which teaches us to govern ourselves.” Democracy is a tender plant and it needs to be nourished and watered by hands of faith. This done, Switzerland is a shining example of the success of democracy. So we may conclude with the words of Indira Gandhi – “Democracy is the best form of government, but it is certainly the most difficult.”

Related Articles:

• Direct Democracy and Indirect Democracy
• Schools of Thought on the Forms of Democracy
• Essay on the Constitution: Top 6 Essays | Government | Law
• Essay on Budget: Top 4 Essays | Government | Public Administration

Upload and Share Your Article:

• Description *
• Your Name *
• Your Email ID *
• Upload Your File Drop files here or Select files Max. file size: 3 MB, Max. files: 5.

Democracy , Essay , Essay on Democracy , Forms , Government , Law

Upload Your Knowledge on Political science:

Privacy overview.

Home — Essay Samples — Government & Politics — Democracy in America — Democracy in United States

Democracy in United States

• Categories: Democracy in America

About this sample

Words: 811 |

Published: Dec 12, 2018

Words: 811 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Dr. Karlyna PhD

Verified writer

• Expert in: Government & Politics

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 860 words

2 pages / 985 words

1 pages / 3912 words

1 pages / 644 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Democracy in America

With origins dating back to ancient Greece, democracy is regarded as one of the staple and founding features of the United States. It is a political system and a means for the people of a nation to choose their leaders and keep [...]

His ran his campaign on a pledge to “Make America Great Again” the slogan emblazoned on the baseball hats he often wore at his public rallies, and spoke out against political correctness, illegal immigration and government [...]

In the last presidential election cycle, $1,977,700,000 was independently spent in support of Barrack Obama or Mitt Romney, $828 million of which was raised by political action committees (PACs). This money, enough to send [...]

Holley, S. (n.d.). The Decline of American Patriotism. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2016/cb16-ff22.html

What Caused the Clash Between Communism and Capitalism During the Cold War? The cold war was essentially a clash between two different ideologies: Communism and Capitalism. In Capitalistic Economy the free market determines [...]

For the abolitionists and intellectual opponents of slavery during the 19th century, fruitless sympathy from the “enlightened” liberals of northern states was simply not enough. In the literary works “Benito Cereno” and Our Nig, [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

Essay on Democracy for Students and Children in 1000+ Words

Here, you will read Essay on Democracy for Students and Children in 1000+ Words. It will include meaning, importance of democracy in India.

Table of Contents

Introduction (Essay on Democracy)

This is a very simple word known by all nowadays. Mostly in all countries democracy system is available. Public administration is called a democracy because the election of the people forms it.

Meaning of democracy 

Under this, every adult citizen, using his vote, chooses a ruler who will help in the development of the country. Along with it, it will maintain the unity and integrity of the country, and protect it from all wars. 

Democracy in India

At the same time, India’s democracy works on five main principles, such as sovereign, that there is no interference of any foreign power in India; it is completely free. Socialists, vote is to provide social and economic equality to all citizens.

Role of democracy in election and voting system of India

Elections to the Lok Sabha or to the Legislative Assembly, in which all citizens of the country unite and exercise their franchise and elect their representative, every citizen over 18 years of age in the country can use his vote. 

Democratic Principles of India

India is a democratic country that primarily works on five democratic principles – such as sovereign, socialist, secularism and democratic which are below –

India is a democratic republic, which means that India’s government is elected by the citizens of India without any caste discrimination and economic inequality.

10 Lines on Democracy

However, in India’s democracy, all the factors like illiteracy, poverty, and unemployment need to be eradicated to strengthen the country’s democracy and strengthen the country’s development.

Reader Interactions

Leave a reply cancel reply, copyright protection, important links.

Essay on Democracy in India for Students and Children

500+ words essay on democracy in india.

Essay on Democracy in India – First of all, democracy refers to a system of government where the citizens exercise power by voting. Democracy holds a special place in India. Furthermore, India without a doubt is the biggest democracy in the world. Also, the democracy of India is derived from the constitution of India. After suffering at the hands of British colonial rule, India finally became a democratic nation in 1947 . Most noteworthy, Indian democracy since independence is infused with the spirit of justice, liberty, and equality.

Features of Indian Democracy

Sovereignty is a vital feature of Indian democracy. Sovereignty refers to the full power of a governing body over itself without outside interference. Moreover, people can exercise power in Indian democracy . Most noteworthy, people of India elect their representatives. Moreover, these representatives remain responsible for common people.

The democracy in India works on the principle of political equality. Furthermore, it essentially means all citizens are equal before the law. Most noteworthy, there is no discrimination on the basis of religion , caste, creed, race, sect, etc. Hence, every Indian citizen enjoys equal political rights.

Rule of the majority is an essential feature of Indian democracy. Moreover, the party which wins the most seats forms and runs the government. Most noteworthy, no-one can object to support of the majority.

Another feature of Indian democracy is federal. Most noteworthy, India is a union of states. Furthermore, the states are somewhat autonomous. Moreover, the states enjoy freedom in certain matters.

Collective responsibility is a notable feature of Indian democracy. The council of Ministers in India is collectively responsible to their respective legislatures. Therefore, no minister alone is responsible for any act of their government.

Indian democracy works on the principle of formation of opinion. Furthermore, the government and its institutions must work on the basis of public opinion. Most noteworthy, public opinion must be formed on various matters in India. Moreover, the Legislature of India provides an appropriate platform to express public opinion.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Ways to Strengthen Democracy in India

First of all, people must stop having a blind belief in the media. Many times the news reported by media is out of context and exaggerated. Most noteworthy, some media outlets may propagate the propaganda of a particular political party. Therefore, people must be careful and cautious when accepting media news.

Another important way to strengthen the Indian democracy is to reject the consumer mentality in elections. Several Indians view national elections like consumers buying a product. Most noteworthy, elections should make Indians feel like participants rather than separatists.

People in India should make their voices heard. Furthermore, people must try to communicate with their elected official all year-round instead of just during elections. Therefore, citizens must write, call, email, or attend community forums to communicate with their elected official. This would surely strengthen Indian democracy.

Huge voter turnouts is really an efficient way to strengthen democracy in India. People must avoid hesitation and come out to vote. Most noteworthy, large voter turnout would signify a substantial involvement of the common people in Indian politics.

In conclusion, the democracy in India is something very precious. Furthermore, it is a gift of the patriotic national leaders to the citizens of India. Most noteworthy, the citizens of this country must realize and appreciate the great value of democracy. The democracy in India is certainly unique in the world.

{ “@context”: “https://schema.org”, “@type”: “FAQPage”, “mainEntity”: [{ “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “State any two features of Indian democracy?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Two features of Indian democracy are the rule of the majority and collective responsibility.” } }, { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “State any one way to strengthen democracy in India?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”:”One way to strengthen democracy in India is to reject the consumer mentality in elections.”} }] }

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

• Travelling Essay
• Picnic Essay
• Our Country Essay
• My Parents Essay
• Essay on Favourite Personality
• Essay on Memorable Day of My Life
• Essay on Knowledge is Power
• Essay on Gurpurab
• Essay on My Favourite Season
• Essay on Types of Sports

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

Sample Essay On Democracy, with Outline

Published by gudwriter on June 9, 2018 June 9, 2018

Is writing essays not your thing? Do not force yourself to do something that you are not good at whereas you can approach Gudwriter experts with a simple “ do my homework for me ‘ request while you use that time to focus on more important things

Elevate Your Writing with Our Free Writing Tools!

Did you know that we provide a free essay and speech generator, plagiarism checker, summarizer, paraphraser, and other writing tools for free?

Democracy Essay Sample Outline

Introduction.

Thesis: Democracy is a system of government where the will of the people is the ultimate power. Though it has a decisive influence in most countries where it is practiced, several drawbacks amount from the practice.

Paragraph 1:

Democracy is, ‘the government of the people, by the people, and for the people.’

• Free and fair elections characterize it.
• A country that thrives in a democracy should prioritize the protection of human freedoms and rights.

Paragraph 2:

Democracy discards privileges of a class or group of men.

• Ordinary people have the right to choose their leaders.
• All voters are eligible for leadership positions.

Paragraph 3:

Democracy ensures that all people are treated as equals before the law.

• Citizens make laws in a democratic country through their representatives.
• All people regardless of their influence in the society are treated equally under the law.

Paragraph 4:

Democracy instills a sense of responsibility in all citizens within a country.

• People take part in governing their country.
• People rise against oppression and air their views on governance.

Paragraph 5: 

Democracy greatly reduces the likelihood of political dissent.

• A democratically elected government receives its mandate from a majority of the citizenry.
• A majority should be content with it.

Paragraph 6:

Democracy operates by an exceptional majority.

• Illiterate persons and the ignorant, who make up the majority are given the power to choose leaders instead of the elites.
• Leadership positions are given to irresponsible people.

Paragraph 7:

Democracy proliferates inefficiency in governance.

• Most leaders in democratic countries focus more on creating political alliances rather than on development and administration. Administration in many democratic countries is run by bureaucrats, who have no obligation to the people.
• Elected leaders do not foster development in their countries.

Paragraph 8:

Democracy encourages corruption.

• Most leaders use their political influence to benefit those close to them.
• Only supporters of a political regime benefit from an elected government.

Democracy gives people the power to govern themselves. It allows them to make laws, which promote equality and fair treatment for all. However, it also encourages corruption and promotes inefficiency in governance. Appropriate use of democracy benefits both a country and its people.

Make use of the best writing tools that will come in handy when writing your essays or handling your assignments.

Free Essay On Democracy for Students

Democracy is a system of government where the will of the people is the ultimate power. It was introduced to give ordinary people the ability to take part in determining who governs them. Over the years more and more countries have followed the democratization path in an effort to improve their links with other democratic countries. It is a practice that is highly recommended by most international organizations. Even though this form of governance has real influence in most countries where it is practiced, it also has its downside. Below is a discussion regarding what democracy entails, and its positive and negative impacts in countries where it is practiced.

Many sources define democracy as, ‘the government of the people, by the people, and for the people.’ Freedom in a country is realized through the use of an open mechanism of selecting leaders. In this light, a democratic nation should be characterized by free and fair elections. Ordinary people hold the ultimate power in a democratic country, and therefore should be allowed to actively participate in civic life and politics. A state that thrives on democracy should prioritize the protection of human freedoms and rights. The rule of law is one of the crucial components of justice. In a democratic country, all individuals are treated equally under the law.

Merits of Democracy

Democracy discards privileges of a class or group of people. In a democratic environment, only people with the right to vote are given the responsibility of leadership. Every voter in a country has the potential to lead others. In a democratic state, the administration is not limited to few groups or individuals. It gives ordinary people the freedom to choose their leaders and to serve as leaders. Democracy ensures that no individual is above others as is often evident in other forms of government such as monarchies and anarchies. It upholds the values of equality and liberty in a country.

Democracy also ensures that all people are treated equally before the law. In a democratic country, rules are made by ordinary people through their representatives in the legislature. Laws made take into consideration the welfare of all people and not for those who belong to a particular class. The freedoms, interests, and rights of every citizen are highly and equally safeguarded. Resources in such a nation are similarly distributed because democracy stresses on equality of all persons. People in the three social classes are governed by the same set of rules and regulations. The law applies to all individuals irrespective of their influence in society. Perhaps you maybe interested in what it means to be American sample esays .

This method of governance further instills a sense of responsibility in all citizens within a country. It gives the common man the right of belonging to a particular nation. It also gives them a chance to participate in the nation’s governance. The people are therefore compelled to take matters of governance upon themselves so that if anything goes wrong, they will stand and question those they put in positions of leadership. They feel entitled to oppose any form of oppression that may arise in their country. They are given the right to speak up their minds and express their views about the governance or leadership without fear of being victimized.

Further, democracy has a significant strength in its ability to greatly reduce the likelihood of political dissent. Collier (2012) explains that since a democratically elected government receives its mandate from a majority of the citizenry, it implies that a majority should be content with it. This is not possible in other forms of government. It is only by constituting and running a government as informed by the needs of those who elect it that a system of governance can be said to be based on approval by the majority. Not even when a dictatorship works in the interest of all citizens can it be considered to enjoy majority approval. This is because the only sure way of determining what the public needs and/or wants is through elections. On the other hand however, the minority needs may not be fully met by a democratic government. Those who voted against such a government would feel left out and would thus develop a feeling of dissatisfaction (Collier, 2012). This notwithstanding, no system of politics or governance can see everybody get satisfied and it is only through democracy that a majority can be satisfied.

Demerits of Democracy

Democracy operates on majority rule. As earlier mentioned, democracy gives ordinary people the power to choose their leaders. Those who are preferred by the majority are regarded to be the elected leaders. However, in most countries, a high proportion of the population consists of illiterate or ignorant individuals who do not care about how the government is run. These people vote blindly and end up giving leadership positions to unqualified and undeserving persons. The elite makes up the minority in many countries, and their few numbers restrict them from determining those that assume positions of power.

Democracy also proliferates inefficiency in governance. Most leaders in democratic countries focus more on creating political alliances rather than on development and administration. Administration in many democratic countries is run by bureaucrats, who have no obligation to the people. Since most of those that elect such leaders are ignorant individuals, they are sucked into the debates of political alliances thus paying less attention to the delivery of services by such leaders. It therefore becomes difficult to foster infrastructural, social, and economic development in many democratic countries. People neglect their responsibilities of keeping the government in check, making it hard for leaders to make any meaningful developments. Democracy therefore negatively influences the ability of a country to experience significant economic growth.

Further, democracy encourages corruption. After elected leaders assume office, they embark on activities of forming new political parties and alliances. Leadership values and promises made to the people are forgotten. Developments are only initiated in regions that support ruling regimes, while other regions are neglected. The value of equality, which democracy purports to uphold, is often overlooked. Most state jobs are given based on favoritism. People in leadership positions use their influence to benefit those close to them and those who belong to their communities or support their political movements.

Democracy gives people the power to govern themselves. Through it, equality is upheld, and the rule of law takes its course. However, it also gives illiterate and ignorant individuals the power to lead others, and this contributes to inefficiency in governance and promotes corruption. Thus, democracy may only be of benefit to a country if used appropriately and in line with the true meaning of the word. Scheme through some quality criminal justice research paper topics you can choose for your assignment.

Ankita, T. (2016). “13 valid demerits of democracy form of government”. Preserve Articles . Retrieved June 19, 2020 from http://www.preservearticles.com/201106248563/13-valid-demerits-of-democracy-form-of-government.html

Ankita, T. (2017). “13 most essential merits of democracy form of government”. Preserve Articles . Retrieved June 19, 2020 from http://www.preservearticles.com/201106248562/13-most-essential-merits-of-democracy-form-of-government.html

Campbell, D. F. (2008). The basic concept for the democracy ranking of the quality of democracy .

Collier, R. (2012). Fundamental principles of democracy . Scotts Valley, CA: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

Ghiorgis, A. (2012). “Principles of democracy”. Asmarino . Retrieved June 19, 2020 from http://asmarino.com/articles/1442-principles-of-democracy

Special offer! Get 20% discount on your first order. Promo code: SAVE20

Related Posts

Free essays and research papers, artificial intelligence argumentative essay – with outline.

Artificial Intelligence Argumentative Essay Outline In recent years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become one of the rapidly developing fields and as its capabilities continue to expand, its potential impact on society has become a topic Read more…

Synthesis Essay Example – With Outline

The goal of a synthesis paper is to show that you can handle in-depth research, dissect complex ideas, and present the arguments. Most college or university students have a hard time writing a synthesis essay, Read more…

Examples of Spatial Order – With Outline

A spatial order is an organizational style that helps in the presentation of ideas or things as is in their locations. Most students struggle to understand the meaning of spatial order in writing and have Read more…

Democracy Arguments For and Against Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

Arguments for democracy, arguments against democracy, works cited.

Contrary to other ideas in political science such as justice and liberty, democracy is a term that can be easily explained. It mainly relates to the government by the majority. Although characterizing democracy is not difficult, the latest political theory is often left this out. No strong argument is provided by political theorists regarding the reason for representative democracy.

On the other hand, if any is given, it lacks strength. One would anticipate that great literature can be created from the reasons for the promotion and institution of democracy. On the contrary, popular literature does not delve so much into why democracy is desirable, but instead, get to explain the reasons for the improvement of the current democracy. This essay examines what different philosophers have had to argue both for and against democracy.

One of the arguments is that democracy is important because it can be embraced and made deliberative. This implies that deliberation of a dialogical nature is vital to the democratic society. When democracy is made deliberate in a given society, instead of people’s mere adaptation to circumstance, their preferences are not only informed but also made clear.

Democracy also helps to remove points of difference among people without necessarily making them agree. At times, democracy requires that people be compelled to embrace a general perspective. As such, both their imagination and empathy are stretched. In the same vein of the deliberateness of democracy, selfish concerns can be separated from public-oriented considerations thus encouraging public reasoning for participants who are free and equal (Sosa & Villanueva 287-288).

Research also indicates that making democratic to be more deliberative is likely to result to other benefits such as legitimizing all decisions that are arrived at, encouraging the powerless to voice their concerns in decision making, promoting transparency among group members and enhancing outcomes that are just.

Another argument that favors the importance of democracy in deliberation is one that aims at making deliberation democratic and not vice versa. This implies that whenever there is democratic deliberation, then the probability of reaching the truth based on reliability increases with the presence of a democratic decision-making regime.

Moreover, democracy enhances the proper allocation of resources to appropriate uses. This argument is supported by the fact dictatorial leaders are not fully accountable to citizens and do not have motivations to put the total output into maximum use. Instead, they focus on their selfish ends.

Consequently, democracy ensures that property rights are protected hence allowing investors to have a long term perspective. Besides, allowing free flow of information ensures that the quality of economic decisions made is high (Dahl 448).

In attempting to argue against democracy, Gordon takes on several philosophers who have argued in favor of democracy. He does this by revealing how such arguments fail to hold water when based on democracy because, in his perspective, the proponents of democracy do not express the desirability of democracy as it were. A good example of writers who have omitted this fact is Bernard Barber.

He dismisses other philosophers on this matter arguing that a just political order can only be reached at through a discussion and not by avoiding it. Questions of distributive justice can properly be dealt with by individuals rather than by philosophers alone since it would be undemocratic to do the reverse. However, Barber does not clearly explain why people should value democracy.

His concern is that individuals thinking on their own can reach wiser decisions than a group of individuals discussing the same issue. He’s satisfied with the fact that Rousseau concurs with the issue. If he were to be correct about this empirical matter, then it would be sound to conclude that if democratic governance would guide a society, then it would be prudent to arrive at decisions in such a society through discussions.

Although this point is still devoid of the desirability of democracy, it centers on the importance of democracy in discussing policy publicly. Deliberating on issues publicly is not a compulsory ingredient for democracy. For instance, during the nineteenth century, there was no democracy in the British government although public issues could be discussed broadly (Gordon para.5).

Plato presents a couple of arguments against democracy. First, Plato describes democracies as societies that are anarchic. He believes that societies that are democratic are marked with anarchy. For example, his attack describes governments that are democratic for being libertarian in such a manner every citizen can carry out their life issues in a way that appeals to them.

In this way, he asserts that people mistake anarchy for freedom. Plato criticizes democratic societies again by asserting that since they are characterized with anarchy, they are devoid of unity. They are not united on two fronts. First, due to the lack of political structure and are not politically organized. Second, democratic societies do not have a leadership structure since everyone can speak on political issues.

Second, Plato argues that democratic societies are likely to adhere to what their citizens want hence lacking any concern for the good of all. If anarchy is what features in democracies, then every individual has the freedom to choose what will ultimately benefit him or her. These choices may clash and encourage people to value their own needs rather those of others as well.

This is a clear pursuit of personal desires which may encourage loss of the common good. Since citizens have no idea of what ruling is, it happens that they pursue their passions and not the reason because reason cannot be applied in such pursuits. Any leaders that are elected through democracy are therefore servants who are out to satisfy the individual desires and appetites of the citizens.

Plato further argues that citizens who are guided by democracy are likened to individuals who grope in darkness since they do not have what it takes to execute governance (Kofmel 20). Moreover, Plato lists two more difficulties. First, numerous individuals falsely believe that they have adequate political proficiency that can qualify them to take part in political issues.

Citizens are not bothered by the fact that on account of their political standing, they are entitled to an equal political voice with each other. Second, when people get involved in a philosophical investigation with each other, they are more concerned with winning arguments instead of the following truth.

Therefore, even though citizens may be endowed with enough political expertise, it may be concluded that they will not be able to manage it effectively (Kofmel 21). The best remedy to this problem is to limit popular involvement in politics and allowing those who have sufficient political know-how in matters of governance to take the lead in the political decision-making process. Such are the people who can guide the citizens into achieving their common good.

Democracy is a term that is perceived differently by different people. Arguments put forth in favor of it are that it encourages fair allocation of resources, sound decision making especially by the powerless and allows for transparency and justice through deliberation.

Arguments against democracy are that it is not the best option for decision making, it encourages anarchy and hence lack of unity and that democracy encourages people who do not have sufficient political expertise to be involved in decision making. This results in a lack of common good.

Dahl, Robert. The Democracy Sourcebook. NY: MIT Press, 2003. June 19, 2011.

Gordon, David. What’s the Argument for Democracy? LeRockwell.com, 1992. June 19, 2011.

Kofmel, Erich. Anti-Democratic Thought. Exeter, UK: Imprint Academic, 2008. June 19, 2011.

Sosa, Ernest & Villanueva, Enrique. Social, Political and Legal Philosophy, Volume 1. Malden, USA: Blackwell Publishers, 2001. June 19, 2011.

• Scholars on Postmodernism as Social Theory
• Democracy as the Best Form of Government
• Social Desirability Bias in Post-Graduate Students
• “Jihad Versus Mcworld” by Benjamen Barber: Tribalism and Globalism Threat to Democracy
• The Causes and Impacts of Social Desirability Bias
• Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses
• Analysis of Hugo Chavez and Muamar Gaddafi's Reign Through Machiavelli's Eye
• Machiavelli’s Views on Democratization and Their Relation to Modern Politics
• "The Corporation" by Joel Bakan
• The Effects of the American Correctional Policy
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2020, March 14). Democracy Arguments For and Against. https://ivypanda.com/essays/democracy-arguments-for-and-against/

"Democracy Arguments For and Against." IvyPanda , 14 Mar. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/democracy-arguments-for-and-against/.

IvyPanda . (2020) 'Democracy Arguments For and Against'. 14 March.

IvyPanda . 2020. "Democracy Arguments For and Against." March 14, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/democracy-arguments-for-and-against/.

1. IvyPanda . "Democracy Arguments For and Against." March 14, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/democracy-arguments-for-and-against/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Democracy Arguments For and Against." March 14, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/democracy-arguments-for-and-against/.

Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Read our research on:

Full Topic List

Regions & Countries

• Publications
• Our Methods
• Short Reads
• Tools & Resources

Read Our Research On:

72% of Americans say the U.S. used to be a good example of democracy, but isn’t anymore

Ahead of the November presidential election, just 19% of Americans say democracy in the United States is a good example for other countries to follow, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in April.

The most common view – held by 72% of Americans – is that democracy in the U.S. used to be a good example, but has not been in recent years. Another 8% of Americans say U.S. democracy has never been a good example for other countries to follow.

Americans are much more likely than people in other countries to say U.S. democracy used to be a good example. A median of 40% of adults across 34 other countries surveyed in 2024 take this view.

This Pew Research Center analysis examines views of American democracy among people in the United States and in 34 other countries we surveyed this year.

For non-U.S. data, this analysis draws on nationally representative surveys of 40,566 adults conducted from Jan. 5 to May 21, 2024. All surveys were conducted over the phone with adults in Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Surveys were conducted face-to-face in Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ghana, Hungary, India, Israel, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tunisia and Turkey. In Australia, we used a mixed-mode probability-based online panel.

In the United States, we surveyed 3,600 adults from April 1 to April 7, 2024. Everyone who took part is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology .

For more information on how people in 34 other countries view democracy in the United States, refer to our June report: “Globally, Biden Receives Higher Ratings Than Trump.”

Here is the question used for this analysis , along with responses, and its methodology .

Americans’ views differ by age, party and voter status

Relatively few Americans overall see the nation’s democracy as a good example for other countries to follow. But adults ages 50 and older are more likely than those under 50 to hold this view. Younger adults, on the other hand, are more likely than older adults to say American democracy has never been a good example (11% vs. 4%).

Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are somewhat more likely than Republicans and Republican leaners to see U.S. democracy as a good example (22% vs. 17%). This is nearly the reverse of where things stood in February 2021, when 24% of Republicans and 16% of Democrats saw democracy in the U.S. as a good example.

Opinions also differ by voter status. Among Americans who are registered to vote, 21% see U.S. democracy as a good example, compared with 13% of those who are not registered to vote. Registered voters are also somewhat more likely to answer this question.

Globally, views of American democracy differ by country

As in the U.S., the most common view across the other countries we surveyed this year is that American democracy used to be a good example for other nations to follow, but has not been in recent years. However there are big differences by country.

Around two-thirds of adults in Canada (67%) and Japan (65%) say democracy in the U.S. used to be a good example. By contrast, only 12% in Bangladesh, 18% in Ghana and 19% in India hold this view, though sizable shares in Bangladesh and India do not offer an opinion.

Elsewhere, large shares of the public take the view that U.S. democracy has never been a good example for other countries to follow. Around half of adults in Turkey (52%) say this, as do 45% in Tunisia.

And like in the U.S., younger people in other countries are often more likely than their elders to say American democracy has never been a good example. In Greece, for instance, 54% of adults under 35 say this, compared with 34% of those 50 and older. There are also notable age gaps in Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden.

This pattern is reversed in several other countries. Older adults in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Singapore and Turkey are more likely than younger people to say American democracy has never been a good example.

(Read more about global views of U.S. democracy in our June report.)

Note: Here is the question used for this analysis , along with responses, and its methodology .

• U.S. Democracy
• U.S. Global Image

Janell Fetterolf is a senior researcher focusing on global attitudes at Pew Research Center .

Sofia Hernandez Ramones is a research assistant at Pew Research Center .

Americans differ by party, ideology over the impact of social media on U.S. democracy

Social media seen as mostly good for democracy across many nations, but u.s. is a major outlier, public has modest expectations for washington’s return to divided government, turnout in u.s. has soared in recent elections but by some measures still trails that of many other countries, two years after election turmoil, gop voters remain skeptical on elections, vote counts, most popular.

1615 L St. NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20036 USA (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax (+1) 202-419-4372 |  Media Inquiries

Research Topics

• Email Newsletters

ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER  Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of  The Pew Charitable Trusts .

© 2024 Pew Research Center

The attempted assassination of Donald Trump is shocking but hardly surprising. The US has travelled this perilous path for decades

Analysis The attempted assassination of Donald Trump is shocking but hardly surprising. The US has travelled this perilous path for decades

Shocking but not surprising. As a BBC correspondent covering the Trump presidency, I used that four-word formulation so often that it became something of a personal and professional mantra.

To hear Donald Trump address the United Nations in New York and threaten to "totally destroy" one of its member states, North Korea, was shocking but not surprising given the belligerence of his rhetoric.

To witness him describing the neo-Nazis who had marched with tiki torches in Charlottesville, Virginia, as "very fine people" could be described in the same terms because Trump had repeatedly failed to disavow his far right supporters.

Even the insurrection that Trump incited on January 6, 2021 fell under this rubric. The storming of the US Capitol, with the aim of preventing the certification of Joe Biden's clear-cut election victory, fitted a pattern of norm-busting and democracy denying. When he urged his supporters to " fight like hell ", MAGA diehards were prepared to act on this violent presidential directive.

Over the weekend, then, when the first reports came through that shots had rung out at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania and that the former president had been rushed off the stage bloodied but unbowed, I found myself revisiting those words. It was shocking to see his bullet-pierced ear. It was extraordinary to think the former president had come within centimetres of being assassinated. It was dismaying to think that a 20-year-old gunman, not long out of high school , could outwit the Secret Service and local law enforcement.

But this grievous act of political violence could scarcely be described as surprising, not least because so many of the country's problems intersected in that near fatal moment.

An alarming escalation of political violence

To begin with, gun violence in the US, fuelled by such easy access to high-powered weaponry, has become depressingly and distressingly routine.

An irony of the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania is that it was carried out with an AR-15 rifle, a weapon that has become especially popular among gun enthusiasts because it is the firearm that gun control advocates most want to ban. Its trophy-like status has been explained by conservatives as a "f*** you" to the left.

In recent years, there has also been an alarming escalation of political violence. America's first Black president Barack Obama received three times more death threats than his predecessors — 30 death threats a day. Michelle Obama became the first First Lady to have assigned to her motorcade a Counter Assault Team, the helmeted agents wearing full black battle dress, who appeared on stage in Pennsylvania.

In June 2017, a Bernie Sanders supporter carried out a gun attack targeting Republican lawmakers training for the annual congressional baseball match in Alexandria, Virginia.

In 2020, there was a plot to kidnap the Democratic governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer. In 2022, a man broke into the San Francisco home of the then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , with the aim of taking her hostage. When he realised she was not home at the time, he bludgeoned her husband, Paul Pelosi, with a hammer.

A new attack exposes familiar fault lines

Then, of course, there was January 6th, when Trump supporters rampaged through the halls of Congress, invaded its chambers and erected a noose outside . Around these gallows they chanted "Hang Mike Pence", the then vice-president who had resisted Trump's pleadings to overturn the election result, something Pence did not have the constitutional authority to do.

The violence on January 6th was seen by many of its perpetrators as historically legitimate. Many of these insurrectionists chanted "1776", believing themselves to be American patriots acting in the spirit of the revolution.

Thomas Jefferson, the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, once said that the "tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants". Over the years, those words have become something of a far right meme, and taken at face value.

Partisan rage has now become the defining characteristic of US politics, and it came to the fore immediately after the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. This time it was Republicans who blamed Democrats for inciting violence through their demonisation of Donald Trump. The kind of attack which in another country might unify the nation ended up exposing its all too familiar fault lines.

Minutes after the shooting, conspiracy theories also abounded on social media, that modern-day super-spreader of misinformation. Had the Secret Service allowed the attack to take place, given so many rally attendees had noticed the gunman lying on the roof? Had Joe Biden or the "deep state" ordered and orchestrated a hit? Had the Republicans staged the entire event?

But, as with political violence and mass shootings, conspiracy mongering has long been an American contagion. On the day of his assassination in November 1963, John F Kennedy was on his way to deliver a speech in Dallas where he intended to warn against "ignorance and misinformation" and "voices preaching doctrines wholly unrelated to reality".

On the eve of the Kennedy assassination, the eminent historian Richard Hofstadter delivered a bleak lecture at Oxford University, which became the basis for his seminal essay, The Paranoid Style in American Politics. Political life back at home, Hofstadter argued, had "served again and again as an arena for uncommonly angry minds". The paranoid style, he called it, "because no other word adequately evokes the qualities of heated exaggeration, suspiciousness and conspiratorial fantasy".

What happened on Saturday, then, is deeply rooted in American history, and follows the same perilous path the country has been travelling for decades.

A crucial turning point

The electoral ramifications of the failed assassination attempt are potentially immense.

The image of Trump punching the air, and shouting "fight, fight, fight", with the stars and stripes fluttering above, became instantly iconographic. Often his supporters have borrowed warrior-like imagery, casting him as Rambo or the Terminator on their t-shirts and ensigns.

But now many of his supporters are inking that dramatic image of his near martyrdom into their skin.

In an election where turnout will be so vital — especially in battleground states such as Pennsylvania — Trump's base will now be super-mobilised.

Conservative waverers, many of whom backed the former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley during the Republican primaries, might also be persuaded to come back to the fold. For now, criticism from Republican Never Trumpers is more muted.

Joe Biden will now find it harder to prosecute his argument that Donald Trump poses a threat to democracy for the simple reason his opponent has become the victim of an attack on democracy. Reassembling his winning coalition from 2020 is also more problematic. After all, anti-Trump sentiment, rather than a pro-Biden groundswell, was the key to his victory four years ago.

A Trump restoration is not guaranteed

Whereas Republicans are now hyper-motivated, Democrats remain hesitant about whether Biden should even contest the election. This is a potentially decisive energy gap.

Trump's show of defiance after surviving his would-be assassin's bullets stands in glaring contrast to Biden's disastrous debate performance, which has stirred dismay within the Democratic Party. Indeed, just as Trump's fist pump has become the defining image of the 2024 election, Biden's fumbled answers have become its defining soundbites.

Talk of replacing Joe Biden, the storyline that dominated so many news cycles pre-Pennsylvania, is on pause. It will be difficult to push for his removal at a time of such national trauma, when Biden is trying to present himself as the healer-in-chief. The 81-year-old has always believed that his elder statesman status makes him unusually well qualified to bring the country together.

So, for now at least, the attempt on Trump's life has strengthened Biden's position when it comes to holding onto his party's presidential nomination, while simultaneously weakening his chances of winning another four years in the White House.

Nothing is preordained. A Trump restoration is not guaranteed. The race for the White House will see more twists and turns.

But in this emphatically American moment, a convicted felon, who as president incited an insurrection, is the favourite to win one of the most consequential elections in US history . That may be shocking to his detractors, both in America and abroad, but surely few would find it surprising.

Nick Bryant is a former BBC Washington correspondent and the author of The Forever War: America's Unending Conflict with Itself.

• X (formerly Twitter)

Related Stories

Just after surviving a shooting, trump's the star at the republican national convention. here's what to expect.

Biden says American politics cannot be a 'killing field'

As Donald Trump vows to remain 'defiant', here's what we know about his attempted assassination

• Government and Politics
• US Elections
• Unrest, Conflict and War
• World Politics

New York City Council

• Interactive Map
• Legislation
• Press Releases

District 51

Joseph c. borelli.

Todt Hill-Emerson Hill-Lighthouse Hill-Manor Heights, New Springville-Willowbrook-Bulls Head-Travis, Freshkills Park (North), Oakwood-Richmondtown, Great Kills-Eltingville, Arden Heights-Rossville, Annadale-Huguenot-Prince's Bay-Woodrow, Tottenville-Charleston, Freshkills Park (South), Great Kills Park

Trump’s shooting was a wake-up call — we must let go of political hate

July 15, 2024

Published July 15, 2024, 4:45 p.m. ET

By Joe Borelli

City Council Minority Leader Joe Borelli’s remarks at Sunday’s City Hall event called by Mayor Adams to promote unity in the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

Two years ago I heard that Mayor Adams was interested in getting the DNC to come here to New York City this year.

As soon as I heard it, the first thing I did was I called up the mayor — actually, I texted him — and I called up some of his people and I said, “Make me a part of this, I want to be a part of this.”

People said, well, you’re a Republican, why do you want this?

Because when things are good for our city in terms of its economic viability, and when things celebrate our democracy, that’s something I want to be a part of.

Sometimes I’ve heard criticism that, being an outspoken conservative, why do I get along with Democrats so good?

Well, I’ll tell you why: The truth is, the worst thing I want to happen to them is to lose elections — to lose their jobs.

And that’s real: I want to beat them.

But that’s the  worst  thing I want to have happen to my political opponents.

That’s anger: I hear things that my political opponents might say that bother me.

Sometimes I think that they’ll have a bad impact on my family, our safety, our wallets — and yes, those things anger me.

Anger in and of itself is not a bad thing in politics.

It’s what motivated me to go hang flyers and knock on doors as a volunteer; it’s what motivated me to run for office.

People who are angry at the system are not the problem in politics.

Hate  is the problem in politics.

The dehumanization of your political opponents is the problem in politics.

Anger’s always been around — look at the Federalist Papers, No. 10.

It talks about factionalism, about how broken and divided we are.

That’s anger, not hate.

Hate is what causes someone to be so desperate to prevent things that they see happening that they’ll fire at a man who’s a grandfather, a father.

They’ll stop an election by causing that person to die.

They’ll fire indiscriminately into a crowd of people with children, families, people who were just there because they like the candidate and rallies are kind of fun.

That’s the difference between hate and anger in politics.

When you focus on using your anger productively and running for office and bettering the community that you want to be a part of, those are positives.

I’m so thankful that we have a mayor and religious leaders here who — look, I’ll level with you, it’s easy for me to denounce this attack: I support Donald Trump.

It’s more difficult for other people to do that.

So I commend anyone who’s willing to come out and say, enough’s enough.

The rhetoric has got to cool. The rhetoric has got to cool.

Let’s use our anger and our political differences as the Founders intended: by having debates, by standing on our soapboxes, by offering different ideas and by encouraging people to vote.

When Trump raised his fist, I would encourage you — many of you who I imagine don’t particularly like him or may not vote for him — I hope you see his raising his fist as a defiant gesture against, not his political opponents, but against people who would use violence to silence our democracy.

He came out [Sunday] and said “Unite America.”

And that’s what I believe he meant by shaking his fist and saying “Fight!”

We have to fight for this democracy. We’ll see who wins in November, but we should all fight to preserve our democracy.

• Initiatives and Issues

District Office

2955 Veterans Road West, Suite 2 Staten Island, NY 10309 (718) 984-5151 phone (718) 948-1592 fax

Legislative Office

250 Broadway, 1551 New York, NY 10007 (212) 788-6989 phone 1 (212)-788-7159 phone 2 (718) 948-1592 fax

Get Connected

Subscribe to receive community event info and important updates via email.

COBA Rally for Safer Jails