How do You Define Democracy?

Democracy is a system of government where citizens are allowed to participate in the proposal and creation of laws. Throughout history, different places have had different forms of democracy.

You have the right to assemble freely, and to protest government actions.

Two of the most common forms of democratic government are direct democracy and representative democracy.

An interesting point about direct democracy is that while it says ‘all’ people vote on laws, in reality women, children, slaves and people from other nations were not allowed to vote.

Reframing democracy as a process instead of a condition creates the expectation that democratic transition will require patience to generate an effective democratic culture.

However, everyone has an obligation to exercise these rights peacefully, with respect for the law and for the rights of others.

In a direct democracy, citizens are directly involved with creating laws, and in a representative democracy, citizens elect representatives who create laws on their behalf.

There are no strong examples of direct democracy anymore: the majority of democracies today are representative.

Democracy is a system of rule by laws, not by individuals.

This conceptual way of thinking about democratic transitions is a valuable lesson as it could help prevent the overwhelming perception that transition has to happen overnight.

Democracy first appeared as a form of government in Ancient Greece around 800 B.C.E.

In a democracy, the rule of law protects the rights of citizens, maintains order, and limits the power of government.

In Ancient Greece, all native born males, regardless of how much money they had or what family they were born into, could vote regarding the government of the polis, or Greek city-state.

While the political transition may happen quickly, the democratic culture could take years and more likely decades, to take root.

Representative democracy
In a representative democracy, groups of people vote for individuals to represent them at government level. In this system, all eligible citizens can vote for a select number of people to carry out the business of government on their behalf.

All citizens are equal under the law.  No one may be discriminated against on the basis of their race, religion, ethnic group, or gender.

For example, key components of the transition process such as reconciliation and restorative justice can take decades, but are important features of a democratic state as they ensure that there is trust between civil society and governmental institutions.

The polis was a tight-knit, small community of citizens who agreed on certain rules and customs. Usually, a polis was centered on a small town and the countryside that surrounded it.

In Australia, voting for the elected members happens every four years for state government and every three years for federal government.

The low number of citizens allowed Greek voters to vote in person on any issue involving the government of their town.

No one may be arrested, imprisoned, or exiled arbitrarily.

This type of democracy is called a direct democracy because citizens have the ability to vote on an issue in person rather than having an elected representative who votes on their behalf, as many modern democracies do.

In preparing for transition, civil society leaders should account for the potential long term aspects of the transition.

If you are detained, you have the right to know the charges against you, and to be presumed innocent until proven guilty according to the law.

Australia is also known as a ‘constitutional monarchy’. This can become quite confusing, but it simply means that the official head of our government (known as the Head of State) is the current monarch. Australia’s Head of State is Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, and she is bound by Australia’s constitution.