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No two democratic systems
are exactly alike, but there are features which are considered to
be essential to any democracy. Where any of these features are absent,
a threat is posed to democracy.
• Citizen participation is the foundation of a strong
and vibrant democracy. It ensures that leaders are kept in check
and do not abuse their power. By participating government is informed
of the wishes of the citizens, can make decisions that will benefit
the people and therefore involves them in governing the country.
• Equality is a democratic principle which means that all people
are equal in the eyes of the law.
• The rule of law means that all people are subject to the
same fair and impartial laws. Irrespective of the ethnicity, religion,
gender, race or social status, any person who violates the law will
be held accountable.
• Human rights are defined as "universal moral rights
that belong to all people simply because they are human beings".
Human rights are often subdivided:
- Civil rights include the rights to liberty, equality, life, fair
trial and not to be assaulted or tortured;
- Political rights include the right to vote, the freedoms of speech,
expression, thought, association and assembly;
- Social rights include the rights to marry, family, education,
privacy, health care and freedom from discrimination on the grounds
of race, gender, ethnicity, social status or religion.
- Economic rights include the rights to work, housing and an adequate
standard of living.
- Bill of rights is the section in the constitution of a country
which lists the enshrined rights and freedoms. Although civil and
political rights should be included in the bill of rights, it is
debatable whether social and economic rights should be included
because governments do not always have the resources to provide
these.
- Regular, free and fair elections allow citizens to express their
will by voting and choose their representatives in government. The
constitution or laws of the country will establish how regularly
elections will be held, this ensures that government officials know
that they will be held accountable and can be removed from office.
Elections are said to be free if the voters clearly understand the
election process, are able to exercise their political rights free
of threat from intimidation and in secrecy. Elections are deemed
fair if the election campaign is conducted in an atmosphere that
allows free political activity and if the electoral process is efficient,
honest and transparent. A key aspect of democratic elections is
that the results should be accepted by all contesting parties and
other stakeholders.
- Separation of powers means that the three different branches
of government; the executive, judiciary and legislative are all
separate from each other without an overconcentration of power,
which could lead to abuse, in any one. It is usually provided for
in the constitution, which clearly establishes and assigns the powers
of each branch so they check and balance each other.
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- Accountability means that elected and appointed officials are
expected to discharge their duties properly and according to the
law. Governments are constantly answerable for their policies and
actions to public opinion and periodically through elections.
- Transparency is a necessary condition for accountability.
In a democracy the people are entitled to know what their government
is saying and doing on their behalf. In order for the government
to be accountable, it must be open regarding the conduct of public
affairs, especially regarding the decisions, actions and motives
of its ministers and officials.
- Political tolerance is the willingness of individuals, political
parties, other groups and organisations to accept, respect and actively
defend the democratic right of others to hold and express opinions,
even if these are unpopular, provided that these opinions do not
infringe on the rights of others e.g. hate speech. In a democracy
a diversity of views and opinions should be encouraged.
- Free marketplace of ideas is a result of political tolerance and
the freedoms provided for in the constitution. It allows individuals
the freedom of choice in determining their own political views and
opinions on certain issues. Such free and open discussion means
that decisions taken are more likely to be accepted, even by those
who oppose them.
- Multi-party system is generally associated with a constitution
that allows for more than one political party, all of which can
operate freely, recruit members and take part in elections. This
system allows a diversity of views to be expressed in parliament,
ongoing opposition and is a constant reminder of accountability.
- Agreeing to the rules of the game means that all citizens have
the obligation to obey the laws of the land and to accept the outcomes
of the democratic process e.g. elections.
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| - Economic freedom refers to the right
of individuals to own property and businesses, to join trade unions
and to do work of their choice. Today,
free market economies are |
generally associated with democracy,
although the role of government is still debated.
- Freedom of the mass media means that the media should not be
controlled by government or any other powerful concerns and should
have the same rights to freedom of expression as individuals. Only
by having such freedom can the media perform in its role of providing
a diversity of information and educating the people. |
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