What Is Democracy?

Author: Ty-Thomas Flores

What is democracy?

Democracy is celebrated as the most superior form of government around the world because it is built on the principle that power comes from the people. Unlike other systems of government, like an authoritarian-style government, where it places power in the hands of just a few people or sometimes just a single leader.

The Role of Citizens

The concept of democracy is a broad concept that takes different forms in the examples throughout the world. But John Stuart Mill, in his writings on representative government, argues that the best form of democracy is a participatory one. Mill highlights how democracy only survives when citizens do more than just vote from time to time. But citizens must take part in the political process by taking on active roles in local, state, and even national politics. This participation ensures that citizens' voices remain central to decision-making.

  But at the same time, elected representatives have a duty to balance the needs of the people they represent and also the interest of the whole nation. Democracy stays alive through the partnerships between citizens and their leaders, where people share their ideas and needs while their representatives turn them into real policies.

Competing Visions of Democracy

But on the other hand, Joseph Schumpeter challenges the traditional idea that democracy literally means “ruled by the people.” He argues that nondemocratic systems of government, like monarchies and oligarchies, often enjoyed broad public support and were seen as legitimate by their citizens. These types of government rules could still achieve stability and public order, which align with democratic goals. 

Current Obstacles

Despite democracy’s dependence on participation, many citizens still face barriers when trying to exercise their right to vote. For example, here in the United States, thirty-six states have voting laws that require voters to show some form of identification at the polls. And it gets even stricter because twenty-four of those states require an identification that contains a photograph of the voter. On the other hand, Maryland and other states do not require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. These differences in voter laws between U.S. states are because states are allowed to create their own voter laws. As a result, strict ID laws can discourage or, in some cases, even prevent some eligible voters from turning out and voting. 

Another example is the long wait times at polling places. Often people are less likely to go out and vote if they have to wait in long lines that can disrupt their daily lives. This is due to sometimes the limited number of actual polling places. With more polling places with the required staff and equipment, it can reduce the amount of time voters have to wait, making voting seem less of a burden. 

Conclusion

Ultimately, even though democracy is still considered the best type of government, it still has its challenges compared to other forms of government. And whether you believe Mill's stance that participatory democracy is the best type. And Schumpeter believed that more restrictive forms of government, such as oligarchies and monarchies, could still secure the loyalty and even the enthusiasm of their citizens. The debate over which system of government still continues to this day.

Bibliography

Ballotpedia. “Voter ID in Maryland,” n.d. https://ballotpedia.org/Voter_ID_in_Maryland.

Elliott, John E. “Joseph A. Schumpeter and the Theory of Democracy.” Review of Social Economy 52, no. 4 (1994): 280–300. https://www.jstor.org/stable/29769747?seq=5.

John Stuart Mill. Representative Government : [Classic]. München: Grin-Verl, 2008.