Importance of Democracy
Miscellanea / / August 08, 2023
The word democracy is one of the most significant and relevant words in today's political lexicon. Democracy is the only form of government open to all population adult, population that normally with other forms of government is excluded unless it belongs to a certain social group or has a certain level of wealth. The word democracy comes from the Greek, language in which demos means "town" and cracy "government". It is considered that although it is not perfect, democracy is the best political system that has been able to implement man to govern societies since it implies the participation of the greatest number of people possible.
Democracy is a type of government that supposes the direct or indirect participation of all the adults that make up a society.
The age at which a person becomes an adult can vary from society to society, but normally we are talking about people entering adulthood between the ages of 16 and 21. In this way, democracy supposes that the government that will act on behalf of a society will do on behalf of what the majority chose and not a few (as is the oligarchy). Furthermore, democracy is based on the
division of powers, which means that the functions of the State are not focused on a single person, and also on the periodicity of officials with the aim of preventing their eternal permanence in office.We all at some point find ourselves in the need to analyze the various political ideologies and to question what the ideal government would be like. Totalitarian, anarchist, monarchical, theocratic, aristocratic, militarized or democratic, are different ways of governing nations. Determining whether they are good or not requires a critical evaluation.
For many years, political scientists have accused democracy of being an unstable method, which promotes corruption, generates chaos and stagnates the important decisions, however there are many other reasons that make it important for the proper functioning of the countries in which it is practice:
Democracy promotes self-government
The essence of democracy is self-government. This political system distributes administrative power in blocks, starting with the most basic level, which can be the mayors or municipalities, up to the federal level that governs all the country, each with its own political system, although the smaller governments are subservient to the national government, which provides the opportunity for participation to all citizens.
Justice as the main pillar
Democracy, unlike other forms of government, is based on justice. In it, all citizens have the same right to come to power and represent their compatriots. Every person has a vote and every vote has the same value. Free and fair elections are held from time to time under the supervision from an independent body. A true democracy is a platform for healthy competition, which should not be subject to any power game.
All societies are witnesses of conflicts originated by the difference of interests and opinions between the different sectors of the population. Such conflicts can lead to confrontations that are best resolved in a democratic system in which no one stands out as a permanent winner or loser. In governments other than democracy, differences become a power game where the more powerful group dictates its terms, leading to resentment and unhappiness of the group population.
![Democracy-3](/f/66774f1d78a642d851fbfe3f1ea08f66.jpg)
Everything is based on decision making
A democratic system requires holding elections of the legislative body, whose members come from different regions of the country. They are the ones who represent us and you discuss any decision beforehand, taking into account the suggestions from different sectors of society, thereby avoiding resolutions arbitrary.
Although in a democracy the citizenry elects its own representatives, there is no guarantee that these are the best, as they may be corrupt or insensitive to the real needs of the people, however, we can always vote for better alternatives in the next elections generals. If the rulers do not change their decisions, we can change them. This is not possible in any other form of government.
A government that enhances the dignity of citizens
finally the scene policy of a country largely determines the quality of life of its citizens and it is here that democracy is far ahead of other alternative forms of government. The strongest argument in favor of democracy does not refer to what it represents for the government, but for its citizens. Even if democracy leads to instability, even if it can't bring better decisions, and even if it doesn't responds to the needs of the people, it is still the best option, since it improves the dignity of citizens. With democracy come rights and freedoms, equality and justice. Every individual, rich or poor, has the same political status. There are no restrictions on religious thoughts, beliefs, practices and expressions. A democratic government is one in which each individual walks with dignity and with his head held high.
Democracy is considered to be the most modern form of government since it assumes that a society is sufficiently mature enough to understand that a single person cannot make decisions on their own as happens, for example, in a monarchy, in addition to also understanding that it is only through the representation of the majority of the population and not a few small privileged groups that can achieve the common good for more and more people.
Photos: iStock, Lorado / YinYang
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