Democracy is a system of government that allows people to make decisions about how they want their society run. It’s the most popular form of government in the world and is considered the best form of government because it allows people to hold politicians accountable, gives people a say in their government and protects their rights. It also provides a level playing field for all citizens, no matter what their background or wealth is. However, democracy is not without its flaws and there are some serious issues with this system of government.
Democracy was first used in the 5th century BC in ancient Greece and means “rule of the people” or “people’s power.” The earliest democracies only included adult male citizens but they became more widespread as they developed into city-states. These were a type of republic and allowed people to vote for their rulers and to participate in local politics. During this time, the concept of democracy was spread to other parts of the world including medieval Europe where it took hold in some cities such as Florence and Venice.
There are some political philosophers who think that democracy is a morally desirable institution in its own right. They believe that democracy is the best way to achieve justice because it ensures that everyone’s interests will be taken into account when making laws. These philosophers are called utilitarians because they view the moral value of democracy as being directly related to its ability to maximize social welfare or the good life.
Other theorists, however, view democracy as a means to protect certain rights or interests of individuals. These include John Stuart Mill’s argument that democracy is the best form of government to protect an individual’s rights or interests because it is more responsive to his or her judgments or preferences than competing forms of government.
It is also argued that the democratic process forces people to ponder and make careful decisions about their interests. This is because the democratic process makes them aware that the choices they are making will impact other people’s lives and they must therefore think carefully and rationally about the effect of their actions before casting a ballot or taking on public office. This is why some argue that democracy can be morally desirable in its own right, even if it doesn’t necessarily maximize the good life or social welfare.
Finally, there is the argument that democracy is the only possible way to realize a kind of public equality in a society in which persons regularly disagree and conflict with each other about how their society should be shaped. It is this public equality that is realized in the regular and equal procedure by which laws are made. Those who skirt laws made by suitably egalitarian procedures are acting against the public interest because they are treating their fellow citizens as inferiors (Christiano 2008: ch.6).
There are a lot of different ways that people can engage with their government and politics in a democracy but it’s important that they do so actively. If they only vote once every four or five years, or don’t vote at all, it is hard to call their government a democracy. It is also important that they use the various other opportunities to participate in their democracy like attending protests, joining political parties and volunteering.