DEMOCRACY

Presented by
Paradigm
 DEFINITION

• A political system that gives power to the people

as
a whole.
• Originates from the Greek word dēmokratía –
“rule of the people”.
• This system allows people to c hoose their
leaders.
 EARLIEST DEMOCRATIC STATE

• First practiced in the city-state of Athens, Greece

in
the 6th Century BC.
• Voting was limited to c itizens. Only men had
voting rights while women and slaves were not
eligible to vote.
• It had a rocky history as its continuity
depended on Athens’ independence. It was
interrupted during wars with Sparta and later
Macedon.
• Roman conquest brought a permanent end
to Athenian Democracy in the Classical Era.
EARLIEST DEMOCRATIC STATE
 HISTORY

• Even with the end of Athenian democracy,

some form of it would continue to exist among
other nations and city-states even during the
Middle Ages. However most only allowed a
small percentage of the population to
participate.
• Democracy in the form that we know today
only really started in the 18th century C E with
the American and French Revolutions.
 CHARACTERISTICS

• A system of representative democracy that

puts authority in the hands of leaders chosen
by the people in elections.
• C andidates for leadership are c hosen among
different competing political parties. Each have
their own vision of what they want for the
country.
• A government is sworn in by the party that wins.
They can only remain in power for a term (4
or 5 years) but c an be extended due to
extraordinary circumstances (State of
Emergency).
• Economic systems may vary but the
most predominant form is capitalism.
 CHARACTERISTICS

• 1. Citizen rule
• A democratic government grants adult citizens
the right to elect their representatives. It also
establishes clear guidelines for election cycles
and term limits so that the key positions are
contested at regular intervals. Through this
process of voting, citizens are regularly given the
ability to hire or fire their representatives.
• 2. Majority rule and minority rights
• The principle of majority rule is an important parts
of the democracy system. The majority rules in
election process, but individual rights are
protected by the maintenance of decentralized,
local government bodies. In a democracy, it is
understood that all levels of government should
be ac c essible to, and representative of people.
• 3. Individual rights
• Democracies value the protection of individual
rights. these rights such as freedom of religion
and equal protection under he law, are such
important parts of a democracy that the term
‘freedom’ is
often associate with the term ‘democracy’.
• 4. Free and fair election
• The key to exercise of democracy is the election
process. Free and fair election are held at regular
intervals for the election of representatives at all
levels of government in a fee. Democratic
election, all adult citizens are given the right to
cast votes- ensuring that the will of the people
will be expressed.
• 5. Citizen participation
• Citizens of democracy not only have the right
to vote, but also the responsibility to
partic ipate. informed participation is key in a
democracy. Having the right t vote and
express themselves, those livinng in a
democratic society are called upon to act as
guardians of their own freedom.
• 6. Cooperation and compromise
• Democracies also value cooperation and
compromise to protect individual rights. To
adequately safeguard diversity and accurately
represent all communities, a democracy must
protect the right to be different. For this, a
climate of tolerance is critical.
 TYPES OF AUTHORITY

• Rational-legal authority
• Power is legitimized through the election
process.
 TYPES OF AUTHORITY

A Constitution functions as a legal document that states

the rights and privileges of the ruler and the ruled.
 TYPES OF AUTHORITY

• The bureaucracy helps run the administration of

the government and country. They are
appointed, not elected. They are also impersonal
and hierarchical.
 EXAMPLES

• United States of
America
• England
• France
• Germany
• Sweden
• South Africa
• South Korea
• Japan
• Australia
• Taiwan
• Finland
• Maldives
• Turkey
EXEMPLARY MODELS OF DEMOCRACY

• Tribal societies
• Native American tribes such as the Iroquois
implements a voting system to elect a chief
• Women have voting rights and could even be
elected
as chief
• Small number of members enabled direct democracy
to take place in which each and every member has
a say and vote publicly
• Athens
• One of the first civilization located in Greece
that practiced democracy 2500 years ago
• Each free male above a certain age is eligible
to vote
• However, women and slaves had no rights
• Postcolonial America
• Founding members of America, George Washington, John
Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander
Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin, invented the
representative democracy
• Wealthy white citizens voted for other wealthy white men
to present them in Washington
• Citizenship, the idea that people have basic rights by
virtue of birth and residence, was a revolutionary change
• Most countries in present day
• Universal citizenship is implemented in which everyone is
given basic rights by virtue of birth and residence
regardless of race, religion, sex, etc.
• Everyone also have the right to vote after a certain age