What is Democracy, Anyway?

I define democracy as a system of government that involves freedoms, liberties, fairness, and competition. I believe that these four aspects of political life and participation are essential to forming a democracy.

Freedom

In a true democracy, citizens have the freedoms. A true democracy protects these freedoms, and, in turn, protects the citizens from doing harm or being harmed. A democracy values each individual in society, because a democratic government depends upon its citizens. Under a democratic system, people have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to choose lifestyles and options without government intervention or suppression. I believe that a true democracy would give people the freedom to build their own lifestyle, without constantly oppressing the people to follow certain standards or make certain choices.

Liberties

A true democracy would not be corrupt. A just democratic system provides its citizens with liberties. The government is definitely not a dictatorship, but rather one that is formed by the choices that people make. It is up to the people to decide what political party or leader takes charge. A democracy values individual liberty – allowing people to live as they wish. Liberty is a fundamental principle of democracy because it respects human rights. Citizens of a democracy enjoy both positive and negative liberties (freedom to and freedom from) and, essentially, their human rights are protected and practiced this way.

Fairness

There must be elections in any democracy, but a true democracy ensures that the elections are completely fair. Elections in a real democracy directly reflect the voters’ choices – where the voters are all adult citizens without exception. Elections are never manipulated or involve fraud. A true democracy shows fairness in all political processes and decision-making. In addition, people are treated justly and equally. Everybody is subject to the same rule of law; nobody is better or worse, or more privileged or less. Justice is fairly practiced among all citizens.

Competition

Pluralism is an important aspect of democracy. A true democracy expects competition because there is not one political party or actor that practices monopoly. Therefore, a multiplicity of actors have to be present. Democracy means observing multiple aspects, perspectives and choices in the political realm. There should never be one single actor that far exceeds all others. Politics is inevitably varied in terms of how it is practiced, who practices it, and what ideals it encompasses. Thus, plurality is a very important aspect that creates competition, which is needed for a true democracy.

Democracy is a very difficult concept to define. There still is no concrete definition of democracy, but many people have attempted to provide a comprehensive, yet precise and concise, definition of it. This has resulted in both conceptual stretching and conceptual differentiation (too vague or too specific). I acknowledge the difficulty of making an accurate definition of democracy – so I have provided a statement on what democracy is. These four concepts (freedom, liberty, fairness, and competition) are essential to establishing a true democracy.