Free And Fair Elections
Democracy holds free and fair elections to choose representatives that govern the nation. The term ‘free elections‘ means that no citizen can be prevented from participating or standing for office. ‘Fair elections‘ means that adult voters can’t be deprived of their right to vote and elections will be conducted in a transparent manner. Besides the emphasis on free and fair elections, democracy holds frequent elections at regular time intervals to promote the interests of its citizens. Democracy is closely associated with the universal adult franchise. It means that the right to vote in a democracy is equitable. Neither caste, color, sex, gender, etc. are influential to this right.
For instance, in India, Lok Sabha elections are held after every five years and the Prime Minister is not directly elected by the people. Generally, he or she will be selected by the political party which secures an absolute majority in the lower house.
Every democracy is obligated to follow the principle of one vote, one value. It means every member of a democratic civil society is entitled to cast a vote which would have an equal value to any other citizen.
Democracy is a Government of People, For the People and By the People
‘Democracy’ is a type of government that is elected by the country’s people. This term has been derived from two Greek words – ‘Demos’ meaning people and ‘Kratos’ meaning rule. Literally translated as ‘rule of people’, such a form of government includes a set of specific government institutions headed by freely elected representatives. Practically, it goes beyond its theoretical definition. At an advanced level, it offers its citizens various rights, freedoms, and other ideals. Democracy rests upon the fundamental principle of majority rule. The term majority rule refers to the most preferred party or leader by adult citizens. A successful democracy largely depends upon the participation of its citizens in expressing their views and criticism of the actions of the elected government. Some of the key elements of democracy are the active participation of citizens, the rule of law, freedom of speech and expression, and a well-structured electoral system.
There are certain features of a democracy that enable its citizens to live a life of dignity. Democracy depends upon the roles and responsibilities of its citizens. Citizens are both active and passive participants in a democracy.
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