Democracies and Democracy

In a democracy, people have the power to choose their own leaders and make decisions that affect them. They have the right to freedom of speech, expression and association (UDHR Article 20) so they can share their ideas with others and form groups to campaign for or against issues that matter to them. Democracy also includes the right to vote (UDHR Article 23).

The word democracy combines two Greek words, demos (“people”) and kratos (“power”). A democratic system of government allows citizens to influence their elected representatives through voting and other forms of direct citizen involvement. It is a form of government that can be found in countries all over the world, although the exact characteristics vary from one country to another.

Today, there are many different forms of democracy: republics, constitutional monarchies, parliamentary democracies and presidential democracies, all using various methods to allow citizens to choose their own political leaders. Democracies can have a range of economic and social policies, from free market economies to high levels of inequality.

There is still room to improve the democratic process and give citizens more control over their lives. Most democratization struggles throughout history have focused on improving the “people” or “will” parts of democracy, by increasing representation and competence and giving people more real power. But there are also ways to improve the “power” part of democracy by making democratic systems more transparent and responsive to citizens’ concerns.