About Democracy
The word democracy derives from the Greek demos (“people”) and kratos (rule). In the 5th century BC, it was used in Greek city-states – notably Athens – to refer to a way of governing that relied on the people’s will. This basic idea is still at the heart of our understanding of democracy today.
Modern democracy is based on three normative elements: rights expressing the dignity of citizens; laws displaying a commitment to public reason; and elections as a method of selecting legislators. A democratic system also guarantees that those elected have the authority to make laws and enforce them. If these basic conditions are met, there can be no doubt that a government is democratic.
While it’s impossible to create a perfect democracy, most scholars believe that democracies, on average, are better than other forms of governance. In fact, research spanning 1,100 cross-country analyses since 2000 has shown that democratic governments do better than other types of government in terms of human rights, economic performance, military spending, corruption, and more.
Democracy can be improved in two ways: it can become more inclusive of the people’s wishes and more responsive to their influence; or it can become more powerful, giving the people more real power over their lives. Efforts to reform democratic systems usually focus on one or the other of these dimensions.
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