What is democracy in simple words. Concept of democracy

Decor elements 14.10.2019

Decor elements

It seems logical to talk about in which state we could be most free. It is now believed that democracy is the ideal of a free state, where citizens have the right to choose their own future. However, democracy was considered ideal (or at least good) political system far from always. The democratic system, especially the modern one, has flaws that in a certain sense make it a source of unfreedom.

Parthenon, Athens / Forwardcom, Bigstockphoto.com

ancient democracy

As I already, in Greek policies, as in all such small public entities, social order was often either democratic or heavily dependent on popular opinion. Nevertheless, the notion was widely held that democracy was perhaps the worst type of government.

This is due to several reasons. First of all, this was primarily thought by representatives of the intellectual elite of society, which, of course, was formed due to the availability of money and time for education, that is, it was also the political, military and economic elite at the same time. Second, the age-old problem with majority-voted democracy is that the majority can ignore and suppress the opinions of the minority. Accordingly, the uneducated masses of the population could suppress the educated minority. Finally, the uneducated population often succumbed to the influence of demagogues who promised well-being for everyone, but did not necessarily fulfill their promises.

In addition, it is also worth noting that democracies can be slow to make decisions due to the fact that they require discussion in order to function. a large number of of people. And this discussion distracts people from other activities. That is why democracies were usually slave-owning communities in which non-political activities were shifted to slaves.

In this regard, philosophers in their theories preferred aristocratic or monarchical structures, because then the rulers would be well educated, noble and educated and would know how best to manage society. However, the consequences of corrupting the rulers in this case will be more dangerous. Therefore, it was believed that democracy is the worst type of government, since, for the reasons listed above, democratic societies are not capable of great good, but at the same time their advantage is their inability to do great evil.

And this prejudice towards democracy persisted for a very long time, until, firstly, the intellectual, political, economic and military elites were finally divided, secondly, the idea of the equality of all people arose, and, secondly, thirdly, the people did not begin to be perceived as a source of power. Together, these three changes led to a radical transformation in the perception of democracy, making it a desirable form of government. After all, if power comes from the people, then it is logical that the people should rule the state.

Matt Briney / Unsplash.com

modern democracy

However, modern democracy is very different from ancient democracy. Its main difference is that in Greek policies democracy was direct: everyone who had the right to vote gathered in the square and participated in the discussion and voting. Modern democracy is representative, mediated. The Greeks would rather call such a device an aristocracy, even though the people seem to have influence on power, and any citizen can technically become one of the rulers.

However, the fact that we can do it according to the law does not mean at all that we can really do it, because our possibilities are determined not only by the law, but also by the means available to us. Election to parliament requires high costs effort, time and money that most people cannot afford. In addition, it usually also requires certain legal, sociological and political science knowledge, which many people also cannot afford to acquire. Finally, a political career also requires connections.

Therefore, now the phenomenon has become widespread, when the political elite of the country is made up of graduates of one university or even one faculty, because it is there that rich and influential people are concentrated, who, while receiving education, also acquire useful connections. And usually these graduates are children from wealthy families whose parents studied in the same place and also participated in political life. This is due to the fact that only members of these families can afford enough a good education to enroll in these faculties and have enough money to pay for tuition there.

This is exacerbated by the fact that the economic elite also remains relatively unchanged. For example, a recent study in Florence showed that the richest families in the city in the 21st century are the same families that were the richest five hundred years ago.

That is, thanks to the merging of political and economic elites, as well as due to the political system itself, a closed aristocratic circle is formed, whose members participate in government. People from this circle are divided into parties, depending on political preferences, but at the same time remain friends. Ideology cannot separate them, since their own position does not depend on the policy pursued by them. The voters are given a choice that is actually illusory, since we do not choose our political elite, but only choose which part of the existing elite will have more power in the near future.

Therefore, in essence, these parties are not much different from each other. Their real task is not to carry out social transformations, but to maintain the status quo. Any overly radical proposals can cause either popular anger or the anger of lobbyists. Parties strive to form programs that would satisfy the largest part of the population.

Here again one of the original problems of democracy arises - the dictatorship of the majority. Drawing up their programs with an eye on the desires of the majority, the parties are created almost identical and emasculated, with very minor changes that appeal to one or another part of the population. So, in fact, the majority, or rather, majority-oriented democracy, itself hinders social transformations in modern democratic communities. Since any unusual, innovative ideas are perceived with caution by the people, politicians usually do not even dare to express them, as this can lead to defeat in the elections.

Alexandru Nika / Bigstockphoto.com

All of the above does not mean that democracy in itself is bad. Rather, it is far from perfect. However, it can be improved. And for this it is necessary to overcome the problems I have noted: the representativeness of democracy, which leads to the removal of the people from government and the concentration of power in the hands of a narrow stratum of society, and the dictatorship of the majority, which, on the one hand, prevents significant social change, and on the other hand, it suppresses the will of minorities. To do this, a democratic system needs such mechanisms to involve people in political activity that would allow them to participate in it, regardless of origin, education, social status and past merit or sin, and to reach any level in the hierarchy of power.

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Among all existing species democracy is the only form of government in which powers are assigned to the majority, regardless of its origin and merits.

Today it is the most widespread and progressive type of political regime in the world, characterized by continuous development and species diversity.

This form of government is devoted to many works of philosophers and scientists of all times.

Democracy is a system of government in which power is recognized by the people and exercised on the basis of legally expressed equal rights and freedoms of citizens.

Democracy is inseparable from the concept of the state, as it arose along with it.

* State – political form organization of society, implemented in a certain territory.

The History of Democracy

Democracy was born in 507 BC. e. in Ancient Greece as one of the forms of popular self-government by ancient city-states. Therefore, literally from ancient Greek democracy translated as "power of the people": from demos - people and kratos - power.

It's interesting that demos the Greeks did not name the whole people, but only free citizens, endowed with rights, but not related to aristocrats.

General signs of democracy

The essential features of a democratic system are:

The people are the source of power.
The electoral principle is the basis for the formation of state self-government bodies.
Equality of civil rights, with the priority of the electoral.
Leadership of the majority opinion in controversial issues.

Signs of modern democratic states

In the process historical development Democracy has developed new features, including:

the supremacy of the Constitution;
separation of powers into legislative, executive and judicial;
the priority of human rights over the rights of the state;
recognition of the rights of minorities to freely express their opinions;
constitutional consolidation of the priority of the rights of the majority over the minority, etc.

Principles of democracy

The system-forming provisions of democracy, of course, are reflected in its features. In addition to political freedoms and civil equality, the election of state bodies and the separation of powers, the following principles should be noted:

The will of the majority should not infringe on the rights of the minority.
Pluralism is the socio-political diversity that underlies freedom of choice and expression. It implies a plurality of political parties and public associations.

Types of Democracy

About the ways in which the people can exercise their power, they say existing varieties democracy:

Straight- Citizens themselves, without intermediaries, discuss some issue and put its decision to a vote

Plebiscite(considered a variation of the direct line) — Citizens can only vote for or against a decision they had no part in preparing.

representative- Decisions for citizens are made by their representatives in power, who received popular votes in the elections.

Democracy in the modern world

Democracies today are representative democracies. In them, the people's will, in contrast to ancient society, is expressed through elected representatives (deputies) in parliament or local governments.

Representative democracy makes possible the popular government of a large state with a large territory and population.

However, in all forms modern democracy there are elements of direct democracy, as referendums, direct presidential elections, plebiscites.

07But I

Democracy is term used to describe political system government, the idea and concept based on the principles of people's power. Literally, the word democracy", translated as " People power” and is of ancient Greek origin, because it was there that the main ideas of the democratic concept of management were formed and implemented.

What is democracy in simple terms - a brief definition.

In simple terms, democracy is a system of government in which the source of power is the people themselves. It is the people who decide what laws and norms are necessary for the harmonious existence and development of the state. Thus, each person in a democratic society receives a certain set of freedoms and obligations formed taking into account the interests of the entire community. Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that democracy is an opportunity for every person to freely participate in the direct management of their state, society and personal destiny in the final analysis.

Having learned the definitions of the term "democracy", naturally questions like: "How exactly, do the people govern the state?" and “What are the forms and methods of democratic governance?”.

AT this moment There are two basic concepts for the exercise of popular power in a democratic society. It: " Direct Democracy" and " Representative Democracy».

Immediate (direct) democracy.

Direct democracy is a system in which all decisions are made directly by the people themselves through their direct expression of will. This procedure is made possible through various referendums and polls. For example, it might look like this: In the state "N", you need to pass a law to prohibit the use of alcoholic beverages in certain time. To do this, a referendum is held in which residents vote "For" or "Against" this law. The decision on whether a law will be passed or not is formed based on how the majority of citizens voted.

It should be noted that in view of the development modern technologies, such referendums can be held fairly quickly and effectively. The fact is that almost all citizens have modern gadgets (smartphones) with which you can vote. But, most likely, states will not use direct democracy, at least in full. This is due to the fact that direct democracy has a number of problems, which we will discuss below.

Problems of direct democracy.

The main problems of direct democracy include such an aspect as: the number of people. The fact is that the principle of permanent direct popular government is possible only in relatively small social groups where constant discussions and compromises are possible. Otherwise, decisions will always be made in favor of the mood of the majority, not taking into account the opinion of the minority. It follows that decisions can be made on the basis of the sympathies of the majority, and not on the logical and reasonable opinions of the minority. This is what the main problem. The fact is that in fact, not all citizens are, so to speak, politically and economically literate. Accordingly, in most cases, the decisions made by them (the majority) will be wrong in advance. If we speak at all in simple terms, then it will not be right to trust the management of important political and economic affairs to people who do not understand this.

Representative (representative) democracy.

Representative democracy is the most common type of state government, in which people delegate part of their powers to specialists elected in elections. In simple words, representative democracy is when people choose their government through popular elections, and only then the elected government is responsible for governing the country. People, in turn, reserve the right to control power using various levers of influence: the resignation of the government (official), and the like.

At this stage of development human society, it is Representative Democracy that shows itself to be the most effective way management, but it is not without its shortcomings. The main problems of this form include: usurpation of power and other unpleasant moments. It is to prevent such problems that society must always be active and constantly keep power under control.

The essence and principles of democracy. Conditions and signs of democracy.

Turning to this relatively large section, first of all, it is worth listing the main points or the so-called "pillars" on which the entire concept of democracy is based.

The main pillars on which democracy is based:

people;
The government is formed with the consent of the people;
The principle of the majority applies;
The rights of minorities are respected;
Fundamental human rights and freedoms are guaranteed;
Free and fair elections;
Equality before the law;
Compliance with legal procedures;
restrictions on the government (power);
Social, economic and;
Values, cooperation and compromise.

So, having familiarized yourself with the basis, you can proceed to the analysis of the concept in finer details.

What is democracy made of.

For a better understanding of all key points democracy should decompose the concept into basic key elements. There are four of them in total:

Political system and electoral system;
The activity of citizens in the political and social life of the state;
Protection of the rights of citizens;
Rule of law (equality before the law).

Figuratively speaking, now we will analyze in detail the above points and find out what conditions should be for the flourishing of democracy.

Political system and electoral system.

The ability to choose your leaders and hold them accountable for their actions while in office.
The people decide who will represent them in parliament and who will lead the government at the national and local levels. They do this by choosing between competing parties in regular, free and fair elections.
In a democracy, the people are the highest form of political power.
Power passes from the people to the government only for a certain time.
Laws and policies require the support of a majority in parliament, but the rights of minorities are protected in various ways.
People can criticize their elected leaders and representatives. They can watch them work.
Elected representatives at the national and local levels should listen to the people and respond to their requests and needs.
Elections shall take place at regular intervals, as provided by law. Those in power cannot extend their term of office without asking the people for consent in a referendum.
For elections to be free and fair, they must be overseen by a neutral, professional body that treats all political parties and candidates equally.
All parties and candidates should have the right to freely campaign.
Voters must be able to vote in secret, without intimidation or violence.
Independent observers should be able to observe voting and counting to ensure that the process is free from corruption, intimidation and fraud.
Disputes over election results are heard by an impartial and independent tribunal.

The activity of citizens in the political and social life of the state.

The key role of citizens in a democracy is to participate in public life.
Citizens have a responsibility to closely monitor how their political leaders and representatives use their powers, and to express their own opinions and wishes.
Voting in elections is an important civic duty of all citizens.
Citizens should make their choice by thoroughly understanding the election programs of all parties, which ensures objectivity in making decisions.
Citizens can take an active part in election campaigns, public discussions and protests.
The most important form of participation is membership in independent non-governmental organizations that represent their interests. These are: farmers, workers, doctors, teachers, business owners, religious believers, students, human rights activists and so on.
In a democracy, participation in civil associations should be voluntary. No one should be forced to join an organization against their will.
Political parties are vital important organizations in a democracy, and democracy becomes stronger when citizens become active members of political parties. However, no one should support a political party because they are being pressured. In a democracy, citizens are free to choose which side to support.
Citizen participation must be peaceful, respectful of the law and tolerant of the views of opponents.

Protection of the rights of citizens.

In a democracy, every citizen has certain basic rights that the state cannot take away. These rights are guaranteed by international law.
Citizens are entitled to their own beliefs. They have the right to freely speak and write about what they think. No one can indicate how a citizen should think, what to believe, what to speak or write about.
There is freedom of religion. Everyone is free to choose their religion and worship it as they wish.
Everyone has the right to enjoy their own culture along with other members of their group, even if their group is a minority.
In means mass media there is freedom and pluralism. A person can choose between various sources news and opinions.
A person has the right to associate with other people, and to form and join organizations of their choice.
A person can freely move around the country, or leave it at will.
A person has the right to freedom of assembly and to protest against the actions of the government. However, he is obliged to exercise these rights peacefully with respect for the law and the rights of other citizens.

The rule of law.

In a democracy, the rule of law protects the rights of citizens, maintains order, and limits the power of government.
All citizens are equal under the law. No one may be discriminated against on the basis of race, religion, ethnic group or sex.
No one can be arrested, imprisoned or exiled without justification.
A person is considered innocent if his guilt is not proven in accordance with the law. Anyone charged with a crime has the right to a fair public hearing before an impartial tribunal.
No one may be taxed or prosecuted except as provided by law.
No one is above the law, not even a king or an elected president.
The law is fairly, impartially and consistently applied by courts independent of other branches of government.
Torture and cruel and inhuman treatment are absolutely prohibited.
The rule of law limits the power of government. No government official may violate these restrictions. No ruler, minister or Political Party cannot tell the judge how to decide the case.

Requirements for society for the normal operation of a democratic system.

Citizens should not only exercise their rights, but also observe certain principles and rules of democratic behavior.
People must respect the law and reject violence. Nothing justifies the use of violence against your political opponents just because you disagree with them.
Every citizen must respect the rights of his fellow citizens and their dignity as human beings.
No one should condemn a political opponent as pure evil, simply because he has different views.
People should question the government's decisions, but not overrule the government's authority.
Each group has the right to practice their culture and have some control over their affairs. But, at the same time, such a group must recognize that it is part of a democratic state.
When a person expresses his opinion, he must also listen to the opinion of the opponent. Every person has the right to be heard.
When people make demands, they must understand that in a democracy it is impossible to please absolutely everyone. Democracy requires compromise. Groups with different interests and opinions should be ready to agree. Under these conditions, one group does not always get everything it wants, but the possibility of compromise leads to the common good.

Outcome.

As a result, I would like to end this article with the words of a truly great man - Winston Churchill. Once he said:

"Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others that have been tried from time to time."

And apparently, he was right.

Categories: , // from

Concept of democracy as a special form of state-political structure: (democracy) - a form of state characterized by a number of features: the source of power is the people; free elections as a way to form government institutions; equality of citizens; guarantee of individual rights and freedoms, etc.

In the twentieth century, the word "democracy" has become, perhaps, the most popular among the peoples and politicians around the world. Today there is not a single influential political movement that does not claim to implement democracy, does not use this term in its goals, often far from genuine democracy. What is democracy and what are the reasons for its popularity?

Etymological definitions of democracy. AT modern language The word "democracy" has several meanings. Its first, fundamental, meaning is connected with etymology, i.e. with the origin of the term. "Democracy" is translated from ancient Greek as "democracy" or, using the decoding of the definition by the American President Lincoln, "government by the people, elected by the people for the people."

Derived from the etymological understanding is a broader second interpretation of democracy as a form of organization of any organization based on the equal participation of its members in management. In this sense, we are talking about party, trade union, industrial and even family democracy. Understanding democracy in a broad sense, it can exist wherever there is organization, power and control.

The etymological understanding of democracy is also associated with other - the third and fourth - meanings of this term. In the third sense, democracy is seen as an ideal social order based on a certain system of values and a worldview corresponding to it. The values that make up this ideal include freedom, equality, human rights, popular sovereignty, and some others.

In the fourth sense, democracy is seen as a social and political movement for democracy, the implementation of democratic goals and ideals. This movement arose in Europe under the flag of the struggle against absolutism for the liberation and equality of the third estate, and in the course of history gradually expands the range of its goals and participants. Modern democratic movements are extremely diverse. These are social democrats, Christian democrats, liberals, new social and other movements.

The concept of democracy as democracy (and other interpretations of democracy derived from it) is normative, since it is based on a normative approach to this phenomenon, which implies extraneous categories based on human ideals, values and wishes. Democracy is characterized in this case as an ideal based on such fundamental values as freedom, equality, respect for human dignity, solidarity. First of all, democracy owes its popularity to this value content in the modern world.

Constituent features of democracy. Considering the interrelation of normative definitions of democracy as a form of government, we can single out its following characteristic features.

1. Legal recognition and institutional expression of sovereignty, the supreme power of the people. It is the people, and not the monarch, the aristocracy, the bureaucracy or the clergy, that are the official source of power. The sovereignty of the people is expressed in the fact that it is they who have founding, constitutional power, that they choose their representatives and can periodically replace them, and in many countries they also have the right to directly participate in the development and adoption of laws through popular initiatives and referendums.

2. Periodic election of the main bodies of the state. A democracy can only be considered a state in which the persons exercising supreme power are elected, and they are elected for a definite, limited term. In ancient times, many peoples often chose kings for themselves, who then had the right to rule for life and even transfer this right by inheritance. (The ancient Greeks called elective monarchy "esymnetia".) However, in this case there was no democracy yet.

3. Equality of citizens' rights to participate in government. This principle requires at least equal voting rights. And in a modern, complexly organized political system, it also implies the freedom to create political parties and other associations to express the will of citizens, freedom of opinion, the right to information and to participate in competition for leadership positions in the state.

4. Making decisions by the majority and subordinating the minority to the majority in their implementation.

These requirements are the minimum conditions that allow us to speak about the presence of a democratic form of government in a particular country. However, real political systems based on the general principles of democracy differ quite significantly from each other, for example, ancient and modern democracies, American and Swiss political systems, etc.

These general principles of democracy make it possible to single out the main criteria that make it possible to distinguish and classify numerous theories and practical democratic models and how to measure them.

Direct, plebiscitary and representative democracies. The sovereignty of the people is the most important constitutive feature of democracy, which serves as the basis for its assessment not only from the point of view of understanding this subject itself, but also in terms of the form of exercise of power by him. Depending on how the people participate in governance, who and how directly performs power functions, democracy is divided into direct, plebiscitary and representative (representative).

In direct forms of democracy, citizens themselves are directly involved in the preparation, discussion and decision-making. This form of participation dominated in ancient democracies. In practice, it is possible in relatively small teams (at industrial enterprises, in communities, cities, etc.), moreover, in cases where the decisions being made are quite simple and participation in their preparation and discussion does not require special qualifications. In the modern world, direct democracy is found mainly at the level of local government, for example, in American and Swiss communities, in Israeli kibbutzim (communist-type settlements), etc. The prevalence of direct forms of democracy directly depends on how well it is possible to decentralize the decision-making process and transfer the right to make decisions to relatively small, local teams.

Direct democracy usually includes the so-called imperative mandate, which implies the obligation of elected representatives to vote strictly in accordance with the instructions of the voters, their will. Thus, the character of an imperative mandate is the electoral college of the President of the United States, who are obliged to cast their vote for the candidate who won in the respective states. An imperative mandate, as it were, conserves the will of the voters, not allowing its bearers to participate in the discussion and adoption of compromise solutions.

An important (second) channel for the participation of citizens in the exercise of power is plebiscitary democracy. The distinction between it and direct democracy is not always made, since both of these forms of participation involve the direct expression of the will of the people, but it exists. Its essence lies in the fact that direct democracy involves the participation of citizens at all the most important stages of the process (in the preparation, adoption of political decisions and in monitoring their implementation), and in plebiscitary democracy, the possibilities of political influence of citizens are relatively limited. They are given the right to vote to approve or reject this or that draft law or other decision, which is usually prepared by the president, government, party or initiative group. Opportunities for the participation of the bulk of the population in the preparation of such projects are very small, even in cases where the citizens themselves are given the right to prepare and submit them for consideration by legislative bodies or to a popular vote.

Plebiscitary institutions are often used to manipulate the will of citizens, achieved, in particular, by means of ambiguous formulations of questions put to a vote. They, especially referendums and polls, are widely used at various levels of government: in communities, cities, regions, throughout the state.

The third leading form of political governance in modern states is representative democracy. Its essence lies in the indirect participation of citizens in decision-making, in the choice by them of their representatives to the authorities, who are called upon to express their interests, adopt laws and give orders. Representative democracy is especially necessary when, due to large territories or for other reasons, the regular direct participation of citizens in voting is difficult, as well as when complex decisions are made that are difficult for non-specialists to understand.

Instruction

Democracy can be direct or indirect. In the first case, the government of the state is carried out directly by its citizens. In the second, the country is ruled by deputies, to whom the population delegates these powers. In this case, the government is in the name of the people.

Democracy has its defining features. Basic characteristic feature democratic system is the freedom of man, which is elevated to the rank of law. That is, the effect of any normative act and document adopted by the authorities state power should not limit this freedom, infringe on it.

Democracy implies that power should not be concentrated in one hand. Therefore, the power has different levels - regional and local. It is they who carry out direct interaction with the population and are called upon to take into account its wishes and aspirations in their activities, to be guided by them. Any citizen living in this territory has the right to interact directly with government officials.

The completeness of interaction between citizens and authorities is not limited by either religious or ideological views, or national identity. A democratic society and state assumes that all its members and citizens are equal. In such a country and society, everyone is given freedom of speech and the opportunity to create and participate in any religious, public or political organizations.

The people have the right to express their opinion through referendums and to freely choose the authorities and the head of state. This is not only a right, but also a civic duty. The participation of the population, which is a conglomeration of people with different religious views and different mentalities, in the elections allows all groups of the population to realize their opportunity to govern the country. This makes it possible to take into account the opinions and needs of all citizens.

Democracy is that variant of the state system, in which it is possible to achieve consensus between all layers and public associations representing the state.

Totalitarianism and its signs

Totalitarian democracy is one of the forms of totalitarianism, but at the same time, outwardly, it retains the signs of a democratic system: the replacement of the head of state, the election of government bodies, universal suffrage, etc.

Totalitarianism is such a system of government, which involves the establishment of total control over all aspects of society in general and each person in particular. At the same time, the state forcibly regulates the life of all members of society, completely depriving them of the right to independence not only in actions, but also in thoughts.

The main features of totalitarianism: the existence of a single state ideology, which must be supported by all the inhabitants of the country; strict censorship; state control over mass media; relations in the country are based on the following position: “only what is recognized by the authorities is allowed, everything else is prohibited”; police control over the entire society is carried out in order to identify dissidents; bureaucracy in all spheres of life.

Under totalitarianism, the border between the state and society is actually erased, since everything is controlled and strictly regulated. The scope of a person's personal life is very limited.

Totalitarian democracy in history

The reasons for the formation of totalitarian democracy are still debatable. Such systems are formed, as a rule, after the abrupt establishment of democracy in countries with authoritarian or totalitarian regime: political coup, revolution, etc. Usually, in these cases, the population is still not politically competent enough, which is often abused by people who have come to power. Despite the fact that the authorities are elected by popular vote, the results of these elections are always predictable in advance. Moreover, such stability for the most part is not ensured by direct fraud. Administrative resource, media control, public organizations, economics and investment - these are the tools used by the ruling elite in such a system as a totalitarian democracy.

A striking example of such a political system in history is state structure USSR. Despite the proclamation of the constitution and the declaration of universal equality, in fact the country was led by the highest ranks of the Communist Party. The political system in the Soviet Union is analyzed in detail in the book of the famous French humanist philosopher Raymond Aron "Democracy and Totalitarianism".