What is a democracy?
What is a democracy?
A system of government in which power is vested in the people, who rule either directly or through freely elected representatives.
What are the basic features of a democracy?
While their opinions vary, a consensus of political scientists agree that most democracies are based on six foundational elements: Popular sovereignty: The principle that the government is created and maintained by the consent of the people through their elected representatives.
Where does the word democracy come from in Greek?
Democracy, literally, rule by the people. The term is derived from the Greek dēmokratia, which was coined from dēmos (“people”) and kratos (“rule”) in the middle of the 5th century bce to denote the political systems then existing in some Greek city-states, notably Athens.
What is the hallmark of democracy?
The hallmark of democracy is that it permits citizens to participate in making laws and public policies by regularly choosing their leaders and by voting in assemblies or referenda.
What is a pluralist democracy?
In a pluralist democracy, no single group dominates politics. Instead, organized groups within the people compete to influence public policy. In political science, the term pluralism expresses the ideology that influence should be spread among different interest groups, rather than held by a single elite group as in an aristocracy.
What are the two types of democracy?
There are two kinds of democracy: direct and representative. Direct democracy is when the people are directly involved in governing the state. Representative democracy, which characterizes the U.S. system, occurs when people elect representatives to ensure their interests in government.
What is a representative democracy?
Also called indirect democracy, representative democracy is a system of government in which all eligible citizens elect officials to pass laws and formulate public policy on their behalf.
What is democracy according to Diamond?
According to Diamond (2004), democracy is a means for the people to choose their leaders and to hold their leaders accountable for their policies and their conduct in office. He goes on to state that the people decide who will represent them in parliament, and who will head the government, at the national and local levels.
What are the characteristics of participatory democracy?
In a participatory democracy, the people vote directly on policy while their elected representatives are responsible for implementing those policies. Participatory democracies rely on the citizens in setting the direction of the state and the operation of its political systems.