Democracy is probably the most valued system of government in the world today, yet it is often a widely misunderstood and misinterpreted concept. States as diverse as the united states, various one party states in Africa as well as socialist and communist states all describe themselves as ‘democratic’ . Other states insist that undemocratic rule is a necessary stage along the road to ultimate ‘dem
ocracy’. A primary cause for the confusion over the meaning of democracy in our present world is that the concept has developed over time and stems from a variety of sources. The word ‘democracy’ was coined around 500BC and is derived from two ancient greek word: demos meaning ‘the people’ and kratos meaning ‘rule or authority’. The most basic meaning of the term is therefore one that is run by the people. Greek democracy in ancient Athens differed in important ways from most democracies today. The Athenian democracy was a direct democracy rather than representative one. There was no division between the legislative (rule-making) and executive (decision-making) branches of the government. Only male citizens were able to serve permanently in the ‘assembly’, which passed the laws and decided all important government policies. Slaves made up a large part of the Athenian population, yet neither the slaves nor women had the right to vote. The democratic way of life has always been based on principles of individual equality. All citizens in a democratic state should be entitled to equal protection of their person, possessions and right; equal opportunity to pursue their lives and careers; and equal right to participate in political representation. In return, each citizen has equal duties and obligations to involve theselves in the social and political affairs of their community. The people of a democratic society can think, act and express themselves without undue interference and domination by the government, as long as they conform to the rules of law. Specific freedoms commonly recognized by democratic governments include: freedom of religion; freedom of press; freedom of speech; freedom of association and assembly; freedom from arbitrary arrest and imprisonment; freedom to work and live were and how you choose. Democracy does not imply an absolute freedom, for a democratic society is composed of many citizens, each with his or her own choices and objectives and the action of any one individual will always have an impact upon others. Thus, person’s ‘right’ or ‘freedom’ is not acceptable when it violates the role of the judiciary (the courts) to balance the individual interests against any possible injury and damage to other people and the community. For instance, freedom of speech does not allow people to slander (that is, to make a false or malicious about) others, and the right to choose one’s employment does not allow child prostitution. Democracy is not only about right and freedom. It also implies a positive duty on all members to participate actively in society and an obligation to act as a responsible, well-informed citizen concerned with the common good. Democracy doesn’t just give to people, it also requires each person’s input. TYES OF DEMOCRACY
Democracies are often classified into two categories direct democracy and representative democracy whereby the citizens of a democracy take part in government either directly or indirectly.In a direct democracy, all citizen get together in one place to make the laws for their community. According to the theory of direct democracy, all concerned citizens directly participate in the decision making and the passing of law. This function cannot be delegated to others, nor may a select group or individual speak and act on behalf of others. This kind of democracy was practiced in the ancient Greek city- state of Athens, but is not common in today’s world of mega-population and busy schedules. But one can still find places like the state of New England in USA where the whole town meets to make decisions. Today the common form of democracy is representative democracy. Because of the size of modern communities, the cities, state, provinces, or countries, it would be very impractical for all citizens to meet at the same place at the same time. Instead, the citizens elect a small group of people that can represent them, usually a few hundred persons. An assembly of representatives may be called a council, a legislature, a congress or a senate. Representative democracy is thus a form of indirect rule.
