Democracy

This article discusses the definition, origin, evolution and types of democracy. It explains direct and representative democracy, parliamentary and presidential system. It also highlights the challenges facing democracy in different parts of the world.

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Democracy
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Definition and origin of democracy
Democracy is simply defined as a system of government where citizens exercise their
sovereign power through popular vote. In a system of democracy, citizens who have attained the
age of majority are allowed to express their opinion by casting votes where the opinion that
gathers majority of the votes cast is adopted. The origin of democracy can be traced back to the
Greek city of Athens where citizens assembled to discuss and make decisions on matters
regarding leadership (Bernard Crick,2002).Under the Athenian democracy, citizens would speak
and vote in the assembly that set the laws and regulations that governed the state. The democratic
system at the time was however discriminatory as it excluded women as well as slaves.
Evolution of democracy
Since its pioneering, democracy has evolved as different cultures and ages practiced their
own version of what they believed to be a democracy. For instance, during the middle ages,
Norwegians practiced what is referred to as frostrating. Similarly, Iceland practiced Althing
while medieval Ireland practiced Tuatha.The most significant era in democracy, however, came
in the 18th and 19th centuries as the English model of democracy underwent various changes. For
example, the parliament enacted the petition of right act which provided certain rights for the
previously marginalized subjects. It was also during this period that the Habeas Corpus Act was
passed by the parliament of England. Later on, the bill of rights was passed paving way for
modern day democracy. Among the items in the Bill of rights were liberties such as the freedom
of speech, regular elections as well as the limited authority of the monarchy.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, however, democracy was discriminatory as only a few
people were allowed to participate in elections. Additionally, the slave trade was being practiced

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by the various colonial governments at the time which was an indication that democracy had not
yet taken root. Slave trade came to an end in the 19th century as a result of the signing of the
slave trade act (An-Erik Lane, Svante Ersson,2003).
The twentieth century, however, marked a new dawn for democracy as cries for
independence took center stage. Additionally, the advocating for women’s suffrage in the 1920s
further strengthened democracy in countries such as America. The end of World War 2 saw the
decolonization of various countries in the Asian and African Continents. The newly independent
systems further adopted self-governance and embraced nominal democracy. The Eastern
European block, however, fell in the hands of dictators who were entirely opposed to the values
of democracy. The west put pressure on the Soviet Union to bring an end to their communist
ideals and adopt a capitalist and democratic approach towards governance.It was these
engagements that culminated in the cold war. Oppression and poor economic conditions,
however, saw opposition grow against the Soviet Union which consequently led to its fall
bringing an end to the cold war in 1991 (Temma Kaplan,2015).Countries formerly under the
Soviet Union embraced democratic ideals. A ripple effect was also felt globally as communist
countries in Africa and Asia also became more liberal. For instance, there was an increased
democratization in African countries such as South Africa which brought an end to the apartheid
regime in 1994.
Types of democracies
There exist various forms of democracy practiced by various governments in the modern
day world. All democracies, however, are structured in a manner that limits the amount of power
that the government holds. Scholars argue that a system is democratic if it includes the general

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public in the decision-making process on matters to do with governance (José Nun,2003).
Democracy can be practiced either directly or indirectly through representatives.
i) Direct democracy
Direct democracy refers to a system where the citizens of a country personally participate
in the decision-making process without depending on intermediaries.The Athenian democracy is
a good example of direct democracy. Direct democracy is however not always practical
especially in every issue.
ii)Representative democracy
Representative democracy can be defined as a system where people elect government
officials to articulate their interests. Representative democracy is the most widely practiced form
of democracy. In a representative democracy, the officials chosen rely on their own judgment as
well as public opinion to make decisions that are in the best interest of the nation. Some
representative democracies hold a referendum to make major decisions. Such democracies,
therefore, bear a similar characteristic to direct democracy. The forms of representative
democracy include presidential and parliamentary system.
A parliamentary representative democracy is a system whereby the legislature is charged
with electing and overseeing the conduct of the executive arm of government. The parliamentary
system delegates a lot of power to parliament including the authority elect and impeach the head
of government. The presidential system, on the other hand, is a representative system whereby
citizens directly elect the president who goes on to become the head of state. Under the
presidential system, the head of state is directly accountable to the public and cannot be easily

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removed from office by parliament. Under the presidential system, parliament still plays the
oversight role. The president is, however, immune to threats by the legislature.
An African mother Casting the Ballot
Challenges facing democracy
Few countries can pride themselves on having a vibrant democracy. In the Middle East,
for example, leaders and citizens are yet to embrace democratic ideals with the majority of them
being under the authority of absolute rulers. Such countries have low regard for human rights as
well as the inclusion of women in leadership. Many African states also struggle to maintain
democracy courtesy of politicians who are reluctant to relinquish power (Tom Lansford,2007).

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References
Ancient Greeks: The Revolution of Democracy - History Channel Documentary [Video file].
(2015, April 14). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=DT5XqSzAUQM
An-Erik Lane, Svante Ersson, (2003). Democracy: A Comparative Approach. Psychology
Press.
Bernard Crick. (2002). Democracy: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
José Nun. (2003). Democracy: Government of the People Or Government of the Politicians.
Rowman & Littlefield.
Temma Kaplan. (2015). Democracy: A World History. Newyork: Oxford University Press.
Tom Lansford. (2007). Democracy:political systems of the world. Marshall Cavendish.