Which is the best definition of a democracy?

– a government for the people where citizens are allowed to make their own decisions on issues and voice their sentiments (Lauren Wons, Junior, Pangborn) -rule by the people (ideally) (Katy Hall, Junior, Pangborn) -government made up of the people in which the rights of all are upheld and

What makes a democracy a democracy in Australia?

Moreover, alternative sources of information exist and are protected by law. Citizens also have the right to form relatively independent associations or organizations, including independent political parties and interest groups. Elected officials are able to exercise their powers without fear of being overridden.

What are the four elements of a democracy?

He describes democracy as a system of government with four key elements: i) A system for choosing and replacing the government through free and fair elections; ii) Active participation of the people, as citizens, in politics and civic life;

Who is the author of democracy by the people?

Sterling Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Yale University. Author of Democracy and its Critics and others. Democracy, literally, rule by the people.

1 A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives. ‘The British system of representative democracy has always abhorred referendums on moral issues.’

How do you use democracy in a sentence?

Use democracy in a sentence. The government of the United States is a form of democracy. noun. The definition of democracy is a form of government in which the common people hold political power and can rule either directly or through elected representatives.

Where did the idea of democracy come from?

However, the main idea of democracy is widely accepted to have originated from Athens in the 5thcentury BC. The Webster New Encyclopaedic Dictionary (1995) defines democracy as a government in which supreme power is invested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through representation.

Which is an example of democracy at work?

An example of democracy at work is in the United States, where people have political freedom and equality. YourDictionary definition and usage example.

U.S. President Abraham Lincoln may have offered the best definition of democracy as being “…a government of the people, by the people, for the people…” in his Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863.

Is it possible to defend the concept of democracy?

It is now impossible to defend an antiliberal concept of democracy, and there is no longer any doubt that the so-called “people’s democracies” were dictatorships imposed on peoples by political leaders relying on foreign armies. Democracy is a matter of the free choice of government, not the pursuit of “popular” policies.

How is the United States a representative democracy?

Democracy in the United States The United States is a representative democracy. This means that our government is elected by citizens. Here, citizens vote for their government officials. These officials represent the citizens’ ideas and concerns in government. Voting is one way to participate in our democracy.

Which is a normative question in the definition of democracy?

So the definition of democracy does not settle any normative questions. Fourth, the equality required by the definition of democracy may be more or less deep. It may be the mere formal equality of one-person one-vote in an election for representatives to an assembly where there is competition among candidates for the position.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of democracy?

Strategically, democracy has an advantage because it forces decision-makers to take into account the interests, rights and opinions of most people in society. Since democracy gives some political power to each, more people are taken into account than under aristocracy or monarchy.

What is the etymological origin of the word democracy?

The etymological origins of the term democracy hint at a number of urgent problems that go far beyond semantic issues.

What is the meaning of the word soporific?

Definition of soporific. (Entry 1 of 2) 1a : causing or tending to cause sleep soporific drugs. b : tending to dull awareness or alertness. 2 : of, relating to, or marked by sleepiness or lethargy.

What makes a democracy a defective form of government?

Other causes for defective democracies include their path of modernization, level of modernization, economic trends, social capital, civil society, political institutions, and education. To understand what makes a democracy defective, one must establish what a healthy democratic form of government is.

Where does the word democracy come from in Greek?

Democracy: The word democracy stems from the Greek words demos, “people” and kratos, “rule.”. A democracy is simply a system of government in which the people rule. ~http://www.afrd.org/glossary.htm. Democracy is “the substitution of election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few.” (G.B.

Where does Polytoxic do most of their work?

Polytoxic is based in Brisbane, Australia, and creates work inspired by the traditions of the Pacific, the guts of physical performance and the crimes of pop culture.

Democracy. Democracy, literally, rule by the people. The term is derived from the Greek dēmokratiā, 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.

How are political scientists looking at the concept of democracy?

Like Judge Hand, political scientists today view democracy as a multidimensional concept and look at more than a country’s leaders, laws, and constitution to assess its health. They also study a variety of other factors, such as a society’s culture and institutions, both of which are created by the people and shaped by history.

How to help students understand the idea of democracy?

In this lesson, we start to help students understand these challenges by examining the idea of democracy itself. As we seek to define democracy, we might also consider the relationship between a democratic government and the freedom and liberty we expect it to provide.

How are people represented in a democracies?

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.

Which is the most topical question about democracy?

So we come to the most topical question about democracy: if it presupposes both participation and conflict, but if its social-democratic version is played out, what place does it occupy today? What is the specific nature of democratic action, and what is the “positive” content of democracy?

democracy government by the people: The United States is a democracy. a form of government in which sovereign power resides in the people and is exercised by them or by officers they elect to represent them. A form of government in which power is held by the people or exercised on their behalf by elected representatives.

How is a democracy possible in a small state?

There the citizens, as members of the assembly, participated directly in the making of their laws. A democracy of this sort was possible only in a small state where the people were politically educated, and it was limited since the majority of inhabitants were slaves or noncitizens.

Which is the best example of direct democracy?

Direct democracy has only proved possible in a meaningful way in city states (e.g. the Greek polis) or similar settings, e.g. Swiss cantons. Plebiscites and referenda, in which people are asked to decide an issue are a form of direct democracy, but the timing and content of plebiscites and referenda usually rests with governments.

Who is the head of government in a democracy?

Monarchies with democracy are called constitutional monarchies. In such countries the people vote for representatives. The king or queen is the head of the country, but they have little real power. Did You Know? The term democracy comes from the Greek words dēmos (“people”) and kratos (“rule”).

The word democracy describes a form of government. The word comes from two Greek words that mean “rule by the people.” In a democracy the people have a say in how the government is run.

How is a democracy different from a dictatorship?

The word democracy describes a form of government. The word comes from two Greek words that mean “rule by the people.” In a democracy the people have a say in how the government is run. They do this by voting, though there are usually rules about who can vote. Democracies are different from dictatorships.

In the briefest possible way, we can offer a preliminary definition of democracy in these terms: A democracy is a polity in which collective decisions (laws, policies, procedures) are the expression, direct or indirect, of the preferences and choices of the collection of equal citizens of the polity.

Why do we need education in a democracy?

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. Why does democracy need education?

The term is derived from the Greek dēmokratiā, 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. What is democracy?

How is democracy important to the quality of life?

Instrumentally, it is an institutional guarantee that the policies and laws created by a government will have a reasonable fit with the fundamental interests of the people. Thus democracy is a central determinant of the quality of life, and a central element in the ability of men and women to live freely and autonomously as human beings.

What are the rights of citizens in a democracy?

In a democratic setting citizens have the right to be informed of public issues and how they affect them. They have the right to express their opinions and interests openly. They also have the right to know how their political leaders and representatives use their constitutional powers.