Democracy as Universal Value

This study analyzes the importance of democracy as a universal value, examining arguments for and against its acceptance. It also explores the compatibility of democracy with Islamic nations and the role of liberal democracy in promoting individual rights.

0Running Head: DEMOCRACY AS UNIVERSAL VALUE
DEMOCRACY AS UNIVERSAL VALUE
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1DEMOCRACY AS UNIVERSAL VALUE
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Arguments supporting thesis...........................................................................................................3
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................6

2DEMOCRACY AS UNIVERSAL VALUE
Introduction: Democracy determines the equal rights of each individual of a country.
a. Thesis statement: It is important to authenticate democracy as a universal
value that will be mentioned in this study.
b. Paper aims and significance: This study will analyze different arguments
regarding the importance of democracy as a universal value. The concluding
part will summarize this entire discussion.
c. Background for the thesis and topic: The decline of Nazism and Fascism
after the Second World War has highlighted the importance of the value of
people in a country. This importance of people's value has raised
democracy to be a universal value.
Arguments supporting thesis
 Democracy cannot be always presumed to be a universal value because it does not
have wide acceptance outside the west. Most of the Islamic countries have not
accepted democracy to be a valuable aspect of government rule. The ideological
confrontation between western Islamic nations and secular western nations has
created a barrier of allowing democracy to be a universal value.
 Democracy can also be considered to be a universal value because currently, the
countries, outside western nations are tending to adopt democracy as its prime
concern for the ruling government. The adaptation of democracy of nations outside
the west is considered a triumphant of democracy and is renamed as a liberal
democracy. A liberal democracy allows individual and liberal rights of citizen where
governments are bound to maintain the democratic rights of each citizen.

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 Thus, liberal democracy can be identified as compatible with Islamic nations. The
adaptation of liberal democracy is designed to cop up with the trend of individualist
society. It is a moral-world view which leads to good governance.
1. Staerkle, C., Falomir‐Pichastor, J. M., Pereira, A., Berent, J., & Butera, F. (2015).
Global value perceptions: The legitimising functions of western representations of
democracy. European Journal of Social Psychology, 45(7), 896-906.
Summary: This study has demonstrated the value of democracy in western nations. Western
nations have accepted democracy to be a universal value. The social and political view of
democracy in western nations has been properly mentioned. Democracy is considered as an
ideological belief that values ethical rights of individuals, groups and autonomous
institutions. The ideological representation of democracy has justified the global power
emphasizing on functions of ethical democratic values.
2. Azhar, M. (2015). The concept of religious democracy as a new political philosophy
for countries with Moslem predominant.
Summary: The concept of democracy is based on its aspirations of people from a social
platform. It ensures individual rights for each citizen. This study has discussed the universal
value of democracy in performing religious activities. Here, democracy has been segmented
into two parts; objective democracy and subjective democracy. The western nations have
maintained efficiency of universal democracy in performing religious rights. However, the
socio-political context of Islamic nations has not accepted religious democracy as a
fundamental right. Islamic nations approve only Islamic democracy and philosophical ideas.

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Socializing Islamic values is the prime motif in Islamic countries. Thus, democracy has not
been accepted as a universal value here.
3. Mukand, S., & Rodrik, D. (2015). The political economy of liberal democracy (No.
w21540). National Bureau of Economic Research.
Summary: Liberal democracy is the only way to develop a bridge between accepting democracy
as a universal value and not accepting democracy as a universal value. ET of rights can be
separated into three parts; property rights, political rights, and civil rights. Liberal democracy
protects civil rights. Moreover, liberal democracy protects democratic rights of individuals in
nations where democracy is not considered as a social structure. Liberal democracy is a legal
settlement between elite and majority. Elites focus on property rights and majority focuses on
political rights. Liberal democracy is a product of settlement between majority and elites. It
ensures individual rights of citizen across their socio-political and economic background. Liberal
democracy leads to liberal policies where democratic rights are performed with ethical dignity. It
is effective for non-democratic nations to change their socio-political standard.
4. Csillag, T., & Szelényi, I. (2015). Drifting from liberal democracy:
Traditionalist/neo-conservative ideology of managed illiberal democratic capitalism
in post-communist Europe. East European Journal of Society and Politics, 1(1), 18-
48.
Summary: Liberal democracy secures individual rights of all citizens to perform activities of
their own choice. Here, the government is not allowed to interfere with the individual choice
of human beings. The democratic movement for fair rights is a long sustaining movement in
the eastern part of Europe. Radical development of socio-political scenario in Europe seeks

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for cultural modification of free rights of individuals with no government impositions. This
study has also highlighted democracy to be the universal value as it supports right to perform
own activities, right to education and right to religious performance.
5. Hassan, O. (2015). Undermining the transatlantic democracy agenda? The Arab
Spring and Saudi Arabia's counteracting democracy
strategy. Democratization, 22(3), 479-495.
Summary: Islamic nations like Saudi Arab and Oman do not consider democracy to be a
universal value. The Shariah laws in these nations oppose gender-based individual rights.
However, the incorporation of liberal democracy has promoted to these nations to change
conventional concepts. Now democracy is expanding the barrier of western nations.
6. Masoud, T. (2015). Has the door closed on Arab democracy?. Journal of
Democracy, 26(1), 74-87.
Summary: Arabian autocratic leaders do not recognize democracy to be a universal value.
Democracy in Arabian nations is hard to bring in action. It requires a revolutionary step in
Arabian nations to consider democracy as a universal value.
Conclusion
This study has demonstrated universal value of democracy. Except for some Arabian nations,
democracy is universally acclaimed.