RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS ON SODARO’S IDEA OF DEMOCRACY

Running Head: RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS ON SODARO’S IDEA OF
DEMOCRACY
Response to questions on Sodaro’s Idea of Democracy
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RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS ON SODARO’S IDEA OF DEMOCRACY1
Sodaro defined democracy as an idea that lets the people retain the right to determine
the body who shall be their government. In most democracies, the principal governing body
is elected by the people and are held responsible and accountable for their deeds and actions.
By guaranteeing certain rights and freedoms to the citizens, some legal limits are imposed on
the government and its authority.
Sodaro examines democracy as a concept that is built on a set of principles or five
core ideas in his work “Temple of Democracy”. In his text, the façade of the Temple consists
of three pillars which are built upon a foundation of two steps (Campbell, 2019). The bottom
set consists of a set of democratic values namely freedom, inclusion, equality, equity, respect,
tolerance, compromise, and trust. These values form the undergrid for the entire structure that
defines democracy. They also contribute to a moral dimension to democracy. The step next to
is a representation of the principle of rule of law, i.e., the legal foundation on which the
democracy is resting (Campbell, 2019). On further examination, it is evident that the two
steps are extremely interconnected with each other. And without the rule of law, democracy’s
core values with being spelt out to the population in a codified fashion and effectively
codified. In other words, values underlie the law, and the law implements the values. There
are ten conditions of democracy involves the discussion of the following aspects- state
institution, elities committed to democracy, a ociety that is homogenous, development of
national wealth, private enterprise, a middle class society, support of the disadvantages in a
democracy. It also includes participation of citizens, civil society, and a political culture that
is democratic in nature. Education and freedom of information are also included in the
aspects, followed by a favourable international environment (Campbell, 2019).
According to Sodaro, these values and the rule of law are practicable. To these ends,
any democratic government has three basic functions that include- respecting the popular
sovereignity, guaranteeing the specific rights and liberties, and enhancing the economic well