16 of 74

Write now Article Tools

Democracy is a political system in which people participate actively in the choice of their rulers, in deciding the way they are ruled and in safeguarding their freedoms. A democratic government is therefore a people based government. It is a government in which the interests of the people are paramount since not all of the people can be satisfied at the same time, the beauty of democracy lies in its disposition to allow everybody to voice their opinions.

In the end, the majority opinion will carry the day.

Democracy does not pretend to achieve unanimity on political issues. Human beings are different not only in their physiognomy but also in their interests. There may be as many interests as there are citizens. The democratic system provokes dialog and the aggregation of interests, yet on any issue of social importance there must be many divergent interests. It is for this reason that democracy allows for as many parties as possible to contest for power during elections.

Today the wind of democracy is blowing all over the world. The condition for respectability among nations seems to be that a country must democratize. Of course, it is not just merely democratizing but that countries should have a multi-party democracy. The clamor for democracy has swept aside military dictatorship, one party rule and so forth in many parts of the world. It is no longer fashionable to over throw a government by military coup. To come to power people must conduct elections and be elected.

The issue now is whether multi party democracy is necessarily a superior form of government.

Those who say "YES" offer the following reasons:
1. It allows as many interests as possible to be represented through the political parties.

2. Since people vote for their leaders and even have the powers to remove them, it is the safest system of government.

3. It is only multi-party democracy that ensures checks and balances and prevents anybody or group to grow above the people. The presence of other political parties within the system would ensure alternative opinions to issues and provide opposition to dictatorial tendencies from the ruling party.

4. The presence of many parties provide the people with alternative choices. People are not therefore stifled by the political environment because of the hopes of a better future.

Those who say "NO" offer the following reasons:

NO
1. Multi party democracy is a multiplication of political opposition and therefore a multiplication

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Understanding democracy?
We want to hear your view. Write now!