Democracy
When we speak of democracy one thing that has become clear is the different notions we have of the idea itself. Perhaps, this conflict comes from our own views of what we would like our perfect democracy to be or reflect. This difference of opinions is growing even more nowadays, partly because of the increase of democratic regimes around the world. When a fundamental political, social, or cultural idea spreads as is the case of the idea of democracy, it also gives birth to new versions, views, methods, which as well as strengthening democracy, give it a much needed sense of conflict, so it can keep growing and expanding. So, the question we must ask ourselves in relation to this is, "Where is our conflict with the ever changing idea of democracy, what parts of this idea reflect our own views, and where do we see the need for change?" and perhaps the question for others should be, "Does democracy really exist?"Do we feel that our democracy fulfills its duties to us, its citizens? Perhaps this is a good starting point, since this question pinpoints a fundamental issue in all democratic regimes. How do we decide which duties are most important and should be the main responsibilities for a democratic government to fulfill? We
Second is the model of a Participative-Democracy. This regime agrees with the liberalists that there is a need to protect the individuals' interests, but this must be balanced with the demand for political participation of the citizens. This participation serves two purposes; to guarantee a collective self-governing, and to create a well informed population that is committed to the public (common) good. The idea is that citizens should participate directly in the important decision making of the State and the means for the citizens to achieve this should be made readily available. This is directly observed in the characteristics that make up this democratic model. They include; joint deliberation in the public spheres, individual self-development through participation, universal voting rights and the citizens' use of the institutions for participation. Perhaps the most important characteristic is the idea of, "democracy as a way of life, not just as a union of institutions". The focus is to form democratic, informed citizens capable of political judgment. However, the problem arises in trying to find the means through which the citizens can have a presence in the main centers of political decision making. Also another conflict comes, when this system asks the same citizens that are thought to be egotistical, and worried about their own good, to make compromises for the common good. So, can these same citizens be truly capable of making unbiased political judgments? To understand some of the characteristics that define a democracy, we should explore the three models described in this article. First, is the democratic model of a Liberalisitc-Protectorship. In this model the individual is the foundation of the social contract that establishes the rules (laws) of coexistence or justice. The rights of all individuals must be protected, and this is achieved by summing up the utilities of all citizens to form political order. In this
Some common words found in the essay are:
, democratic model, idea democracy, democratic system, democratic regime, existing democratic system, political power, democratic system model, political participation citizens, rights key, elite minority, political participation, model believes, democratic regimes,
Approximate Word count = 1318
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
