Democracy is a system of government in which power is vested in the people and is exercised by them directly or through freely elected representatives. The term "democracy" comes from the Greek words "demos" (the people) and "kratia" (power or authority). In a democratic system, the laws, policies, leadership, and major undertakings of a state or other polity are decided by the people, who are historically constituted by only a minority of the population but generally understood to include all or nearly all adult citizens since the mid-20th century.
The concept of democracy raises several fundamental questions:
- Appropriate unit or association: 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?.
- Eligibility of citizens: Who should be considered a citizen and have the right to participate in the democratic process? In ancient Athens, only free adult males were considered citizens, while in 19th-century Britain, it was all sufficiently propertied adult males.
- Rule of law: Democracies are based on the rule of law, which means that human societies should be governed by ethical principles found in nature.
- Representation: In some democracies, decisions are made through direct democracy, where citizens meet to discuss all policy and then make decisions by majority rule. In others, decisions are made through representative democracy, where citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf.
- Balance of power: How can a democratic government maintain a balance of power and prevent the tyranny of the majority over minority groups?.
Democracy is not just about elections and voting structures but also about the will of the people and the protection of individual autonomy and human rights. It provides an environment that respects human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as the freely expressed will of the people.
