Liberal democracy is a form of government, a political system. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions A system of government is a term that refers to the set of political Institutions by which a Government of a State is organized in order to exert its powers Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system Democracy is a political system in which all the members of the society have an equal share of formal political power Here is a partial list of varieties of democracy. The types of Democracy listed here are not mutually exclusive * Democracy, a broad article on democracy especially its application in modernity Anticipatory democracy is a theory of Civics relying on democratic Decision making that takes into account predictions of future events that have some credibility Athenian democracy developed in the Greek City-state of Athens Christian democracy is a political ideology that seeks to apply Christian (and often specifically Catholic) principles to public policy Consensus democracy is the application of Consensus decision making to the process of legislation in a Democracy. Deliberative democracy also sometimes called discursive democracy, is a term used by some political theorists to refer to any system of political decisions based Demarchy ("Dem" being short for demos meaning people and " -archy " meaning rule is a hypothetical political system run by randomly selected decision Direct Democracy is a movement within the British Conservative Party dedicated to localism and Constitutional reform as a means of reviving public Grassroots democracy is a tendency towards designing political processes where as much decision-making authority as practical is shifted to the organization's lowest geographic An illiberal democracy is a governing system in which although fairly free elections take place citizens are cut off from real power due to the lack of Civil liberties. Known as Islamic democracy, two kinds of democratic states can be recognized in the Islamic countries Messianic democracy is a neologism originally used by Jacob Talmon is his book The Origins of Totalitarian Democracy (1951 to describe Non-partisan democracy (also no-party democracy) is a system of representative government or organization such that universal and periodic Elections Participatory democracy is a process emphasizing the broad Participation (decision making of constituents in the direction and operation of political systems Religious democracy means that the values of Religion play a role in the public arena in a society populated by religious people Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of the people's representatives A republican democracy is a Republic which has democratic Forms of government. Social democracy is a Political ideology of the left and centre-left For the Soviet republics of the Soviet Union see Republics of the Soviet Union. Totalitarian democracy is a term made famous by Israeli historian J A system of government is a term that refers to the set of political Institutions by which a Government of a State is organized in order to exert its powers A political system is a System of Politics and Government. It is usually compared to the Law system, Economic system, Cultural ^[1] It is a representative democracy in which the ability of the elected representatives to exercise decision-making power is subject to the rule of law, and moderated by a constitution that emphasizes the protection of the rights and freedoms of individuals, and which places constraints on the leaders and on the extent to which the will of the majority can be exercised against the rights of minorities (see civil liberties). Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of the people's representatives Decision making can be regarded as an outcome of mental processes ( cognitive process) leading to the selection of a course of action among several alternatives Political power ( Imperium in Latin is a type of power held by a group in a Society which allows administration of some or all of The rule of law, in its most basic form is the principle that no one is above the law A constitution is a system for government often Codified as a written document that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity A right is a legal or moral Entitlement or Permission. Rights are of vital importance in theories of Justice and deontological ethics Political freedom is the absence of interference with the sovereignty of an individual by the use of coercion or aggression Majoritarianism is a traditional Political philosophy or agenda which asserts that a Majority (sometimes categorized by Religion, Language, or thumb| |Broken Liberty Istanbul Archaeology Museum Civil liberties are freedoms that protect the Individual from the Government. A liberal democracy has elections, a multiplicity of political parties, political decisions made through an independent legislature, and an independent judiciary, with a state monopoly on law enforcement. ^[2]

Generally it is seen that liberal democracy involves an uneasy marriage of two components: a liberal element that limits the scope and reach of government in the name of preserving individual freedom, and an element based on popular sovereignty that calls for majority rule, as expressed at the ballot box. Popular sovereignty or the sovereignty of the people is the belief that the legitimacy of the State is created by the will or consent of its people, who ^[3] A main modern theorist of Liberal democracy is Larry Diamond, who sees Liberal democracy as the combination of democracy and constitutional liberalism. Larry Diamond is a leading contemporary scholar in the field of democracy studies Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system This article is about John Rawls's book 'Political Liberalism He outlines an eleven point conceptualisation^[4]:

1. Electoral outcomes are uncertain, opposition vote is significant and no group that adheres to constitutional principles is denied the right to form a party and contest elections. In Politics, the opposition comprises one or more political parties or other organized groups that are opposed to the Government, party or group
2. The military and other democratically unaccountable actors should be subordinate to the authority of elected civilian officials. A military is an Organization authorized by its Nation to use force usually including use of Weapons in defending its Country (or by attacking Civilian control of the military is a doctrine in military and Political science that places ultimate responsibility for a country's
3. Citizens have multiple channels for expression and representation such as diverse independent associations and movements which they have the freedom to form and join.
4. Individuals have substantial freedom of belief, opinion, discussion, speech, publication, assembly, demonstration and petition. Freedom of thought (also called freedom of conscience and freedom of ideas) is the freedom of an individual to hold or consider a fact viewpoint Freedom of assembly, sometimes used interchangeably with the Freedom of association, is the Individual right to come together with other individuals and collectively The right to petition is the freedom of individuals (and sometimes groups and corporations to Petition their government for a correction or repair of some form of
5. There are alternative sources of information (including independent media to which citizens have politically unfettered access). Media Transparency is the concept of determining how and why Information is conveyed through various means
6. Executive power is constrained by the autonomy of the government institutions such as an independent judiciary, parliament and other mechanisms of horizontal accountability.
7. Civil liberties are effectively protected by an non-discriminatory, independent judiciary whose decisions are respected and enforced by other centres of power. thumb| |Broken Liberty Istanbul Archaeology Museum Civil liberties are freedoms that protect the Individual from the Government. Judicial independence is the doctrine that decisions of the Judiciary should be impartial and not subject to influence from the other branches of government or from private or In Law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of Courts which administer Justice in the name of the sovereign or State
8. Citizens are politically equal under the law. Equality before the law or equality under the law or legal egalitarianism is the principle under which each individual is subject to the same laws with no individual
9. Minority groups are not oppressed.
10. The rule of law protects citizens from human rights abuses. The rule of law, in its most basic form is the principle that no one is above the law Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled
11. The constitution is supreme. A constitution is a system for government often Codified as a written document that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity

The rights and freedoms protected by the constitutions of liberal democracies are varied, but they usually include the rights and freedoms mentioned in the conceptualisation as well as the rights to due process, privacy, property and equality before the law. Due process (more fully due process of law) is the principle that a person has a right to receive notice and be heard in an orderly proceeding in order to protect his or her Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves and thereby reveal themselves selectively Property is any physical or virtual entity that is owned by an individual In liberal democracies these rights (also known as "liberal rights") may sometimes be constitutionally guaranteed, or are otherwise created by statutory law or case law, which may in turn empower various civil institutions to administer or enforce these rights. Statutory law or statute law is written Law (as opposed to oral or Customary law) set down by a Legislature or other governing Case law' (also known as decisional law or judicial precedent) is that body of reported Judicial opinions in countries that have Common law

Liberal democracies also tend to be characterized by tolerance and pluralism; widely differing social and political views, even those viewed as extreme or fringe, are permitted to co-exist and compete for political power on a democratic basis. Pluralism is in the general sense the acknowledgment of diversity Liberal democracies periodically hold elections where groups with differing political views have the opportunity to achieve political power. An election is a Decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold formal office In practice, these elections are nearly always won by groups who support liberal democracy; thus the system perpetuates itself.

The term "liberal" in "liberal democracy" does not imply that the government of such a democracy must follow the political ideology of liberalism. Liberalism is a broad array of related ideas and theories of Government that consider individual Liberty to be the most important political goal It is merely a reference to the fact that liberal democracies feature constitutional protections of individual rights from government power,^[5] which were first proposed during the Age of Enlightenment by philosophers advocating liberty. A constitution is a system for government often Codified as a written document that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity The Age of Enlightenment or The Enlightenment is a term used to describe a phase in Western philosophy and cultural life centered upon the eighteenth century Liberty, the freedom to act or believe without being stopped by unnecessary force At present, there are numerous countries ruled by non-liberal political parties - for example parties that uphold conservatism, Christian Democracy, social democracy, or some forms of socialism - which are considered to have liberal democracy as their form of government. Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined Christian democracy is a political ideology that seeks to apply Christian (and often specifically Catholic) principles to public policy Social democracy is a Political ideology of the left and centre-left Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution [3]

A liberal democracy may take the form of a constitutional republic or a constitutional monarchy. A constitutional Republic is a State where the Head of state and other officials are elected as representatives of the people and A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is

Structure

See also Elective rights

Liberal democracies today usually have universal suffrage, granting all adult citizens the right to vote regardless of race, gender or property ownership. Two central issues for democracies are the right to candidate and Suffrage or the franchise&mdashthat is the decision as to who is entitled to vote Universal suffrage (also universal adult suffrage, general suffrage or common suffrage) consists of the extension of the right to vote to For the 2008 British film by Noel Clarke see Adulthood (film. Historically, however, some countries regarded as liberal democracies have had a more limited franchise, and some do not have secret ballots. Suffrage (from the Latin suffragium, meaning "voting tablet" and figuratively "right to vote" probably from suffrago "hough" and originally The secret ballot is a voting method in which a Voter 's choices are confidential There may also be qualifications such as voters being required to register before being allowed to vote. The decisions made through elections are made not by all of the citizens, but rather by those who choose to participate by voting.

According to the principles of liberal democracy, the elections should be free and fair, and the political process should be competitive. An election is a Decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold formal office Political pluralism is usually defined as the presence of multiple and distinct political parties. Pluralism is in the general sense the acknowledgment of diversity A political party is a Political organization that seeks to attain and maintain political power within Government, usually by participating in electoral

The liberal democratic constitution defines the democratic character of the state. A constitution is a system for government often Codified as a written document that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity The purpose of a constitution is often seen as a limit on the authority of the government. The Anglo-American political tradition emphasises the separation of powers, an independent judiciary, and a system of checks and balances between branches of government. right|250px|right|thumb|Anglo-America dark green indicates countries traditionally included in the region ([[Canada]] and the [[United States]] Separation of powers, a term ascribed to French Enlightenment Political philosopher Baron de Montesquieu, is a model for the Governance Separation of powers, a term ascribed to French Enlightenment Political philosopher Baron de Montesquieu, is a model for the Governance Many European democracies are more likely to emphasise the importance of the state being a Rechtsstaat that follows the principle of rule of law. '''''Rechtsstaat''''' is a concept in Continental European legal thinking originally borrowed from German Jurisprudence, which literally means a "state of law" The rule of law, in its most basic form is the principle that no one is above the law Governmental authority is legitimately exercised only in accordance with written, publicly disclosed laws adopted and enforced in accordance with established procedure. Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society Many democracies use federalism - (also known as vertical separation of powers) - in order to prevent abuse and increase public input by dividing governing powers between municipal, provincial and national governments. A federation ( Latin: foedus, covenant is a union comprising a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central ("federal"

Eduskunta. The Eduskunta (in Finnish) or the Riksdag (in Swedish) is the Parliament of Finland. Several nations and territories can present arguments for being the first with universal suffrage. Universal suffrage (also universal adult suffrage, general suffrage or common suffrage) consists of the extension of the right to vote to The Grand Duchy of Finland had complete universal suffrage in 1906. The Grand Duchy of Finland (Magnus Ducatus Finlandiæ Великое княжество Финляндское ' Velikoe knjažestvo finljandskoe) was the Predecessor

Rights and freedoms

In practice, democracies do have specific limits on specific freedoms. There are various legal limitations such as copyright and laws against defamation. Copyright is a legal concept enacted by Governments, giving the creator of an original work of authorship Exclusive rights to control its distribution usually for There may be limits on anti-democratic speech, on attempts to undermine human rights, and on the promotion or justification of terrorism. Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion In the United States more than in Europe, during the Cold War, such restrictions applied to Communists. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based Now they are more commonly applied to organizations perceived as promoting terrorism or the incitement of group hatred. Examples include anti-terrorism legislation, the shutting down of Hezbollah satellite broadcasts, and some laws against hate speech. Anti-terrorism legislation designs all types of Laws passed in the purported aim of fighting Terrorism. Hezbollah (حزب الله, literally " party of God " is a Shi'a Islamic political and Paramilitary organisation Hate speech is a term for speech intended to degrade intimidate or incite violence or prejudicial action against a person or group of people based on their race, Gender Critics claim that these limitations may go too far and that there may be no due and fair judicial process.

The common justification for these limits is that they are necessary to guarantee the existence of democracy, or the existence of the freedoms themselves. For example, allowing free speech for those advocating mass murder undermines the right to life and security. Opinion is divided on how far democracy can extend to include the enemies of democracy in the democratic process. If relatively small numbers of people are excluded from such freedoms for these reasons, a country may still be seen as a liberal democracy. Some argue that this is not qualitatively different from autocracies that persecutes opponents, but only quantitatively different, since only a small number of people are affected and the restrictions are less severe. Others emphasize that democracies are different. At least in theory, opponents of democracy are also allowed due process under the rule of law. In principle, democracies allow criticism and change of the leaders and the political and economic system itself; it is only attempts to do so violently and promotion of such violence that is prohibited.

However, many governments considered to be democratic have restrictions upon expressions considered anti-democratic, such as Holocaust denial and hate speech. Holocaust denial is the claim that the Genocide of Jews during World War II —usually referred to as The Holocaust —did not occur in the Hate speech is a term for speech intended to degrade intimidate or incite violence or prejudicial action against a person or group of people based on their race, Gender Members of political organizations with connections to prior totalitarianism (typically communist, fascist, and nazi) parties prohibited and current or former members of such organizations may be deprived of the vote and the privilege of holding certain jobs. Marxism-Leninism is a Communist ideological stream that emerged as the mainstream tendency amongst the Communist parties in the 1920s as it was adopted Fascism is a totalitarian nationalist and corporatist ideology Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German Discriminatory behavior may be prohibited, such as refusal by owners of public accommodations to serve persons on grounds of race, religion, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. Unlike most discrimination policies discrimination between, which is the discernment of qualities and recognition of the differences focused here discrimination against is In Canada, a printer who refused to print pro-homosexual materials was fined $5,000, incurred $100,000 in legal fees, and was ordered to pay a further $40,000 of his opponents' legal fees. ^[6]

Other rights considered fundamental in one country may be foreign to other governments. For instance, many Americans consider gun rights and freedom from double jeopardy to be important rights, while other countries do not recognize them as rights. The Second Amendment (Amendment II to the United States Constitution is a part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the pre-existing Double jeopardy (non bis in idem is a Procedural defense (and in many countries such as the United States, Canada, Mexico and India

Preconditions

Although they are not part of the system of government as such, a modicum of individual and economic freedoms, which result in the formation of a significant middle class and a broad and flourishing civil society, are often seen as pre-conditions for liberal democracy. Individual rights refer to the Rights of Individuals in contrast with Group rights. Economic freedom is freedom to produce trade and consume any goods and services acquired without the use of force fraud or theft The middle class, in colloquial usage consists of those who have some economic independence but not a great deal of social Influence or power. Civil society is composed of the totality of voluntary civic and social organizations and institutions that form the basis of a functioning Society as opposed to the force-backed

For countries without a strong tradition of democratic majority rule, the introduction of free elections alone has rarely been sufficient to achieve a transition from dictatorship to democracy; a wider shift in the political culture and gradual formation of the institutions of democratic government are needed. There are various examples-- for instance, in Latin America-- of countries that were able to sustain democracy only temporarily or in a limited fashion until wider cultural changes established the conditions under which democracy could flourish.

One of the key aspects of democratic culture is the concept of a "loyal opposition". Loyal opposition is the concept that one can be opposed to the actions of the government or Ruling party of the day without being opposed to the constitution of the This is an especially difficult cultural shift to achieve in nations where transitions of power have historically taken place through violence. The term means, in essence, that all sides in a democracy share a common commitment to its basic values. Political competitors may disagree, but they must tolerate one another and acknowledge the legitimate and important roles that each play. The ground rules of the society must encourage tolerance and civility in public debate. In such a society, the losers accept the judgment of the voters when the election is over, and allow for the peaceful transfer of power. The losers are safe in the knowledge that they will neither lose their lives nor their liberty, and will continue to participate in public life. They are loyal not to the specific policies of the government, but to the fundamental legitimacy of the state and to the democratic process itself.

The origins of liberal democracy

Liberal democracy traces its origins—and its name—to the European 18th century, also known as the Age of Enlightenment. Liberalism is a broad array of related ideas and theories of Government that consider individual Liberty to be the most important political goal Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions Liberalism is a broad array of related ideas and theories of Government that consider individual Liberty to be the most important political goal This is a partial list of individual contributions to liberal political theory on a worldwide scale Modern liberalism in the United States, also referred to as American liberalism, is a political ideology that seeks to use the power of the state to effect change upon society Classical liberalism (also known as traditional liberalism, Laissez-faire liberalism, Market liberalism or in much of the world Conservative liberalism is a variant of Liberalism, combining liberal values and policies with conservative stances or more simply representing the right-wing National liberalism is a variant of liberalism combining Nationalism with some liberal policies especially regarding Economic liberalism Economic liberalism is the Economic component of Classical liberalism. Libertarianism is a term used by a broad spectrum of political philosophies which prioritize individual Liberty and seek to minimize or even abolish the Originally coined by its critics and opponents " neoliberalism " is a label referring to the recent reemergence of Economic liberalism or Classical liberalism Ordoliberalism (also called German neoliberalism) is a school of Liberalism emphasizing the need for the state to ensure that the Free market produces results Paleoliberalism is a term that has at least a few distinct meanings all relating to Liberalism. Social liberalism, also called new liberalism (as it was originally termed high liberalism radical liberalism, modern liberalism, or Cultural liberalism is a liberal view of society that stresses the freedom of individuals from cultural norms Political freedom is the absence of interference with the sovereignty of an individual by the use of coercion or aggression Individual rights refer to the Rights of Individuals in contrast with Group rights. Laissez-faire ( pronunciation: French,; English,) is a French phrase literally meaning Let do (“allow to do” Liberal neutrality is the idea that the liberal state should not promote any particular 'conception of the good' The concept of negative liberty refers to freedom from interference by other people ||-||} Positive liberty refers to the opportunity and ability to act to fulfill one's own potential as opposed to Negative liberty, which refers to freedom from Liberty, the freedom to act or believe without being stopped by unnecessary force A free market is a Market in which property rights are voluntarily exchanged at a price arranged completely by the mutual consent of sellers and buyers Capitalism is the Economic system in which the Means of production are owned by private Persons and operated for Profit and where A mixed economy is an Economic system that incorporates aspects of more than one economic system The open society is a concept originally developed by philosopher Henri Bergson. Popular sovereignty or the sovereignty of the people is the belief that the legitimacy of the State is created by the will or consent of its people, who A right is a legal or moral Entitlement or Permission. Rights are of vital importance in theories of Justice and deontological ethics John Locke (29 August 1632 – 28 October 1704 was an English Philosopher. John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 &ndash 8 May 1873 British Philosopher, political economist, civil servant and Member of Parliament, was an influential Friedrich August von Hayek CH ( May 8, 1899 March 23, 1992) was an Austrian British Economist Milton Friedman (July 31 1912 November 16 2006 was an American Nobel Laureate Economist and Public intellectual. John Rawls ( February 21, 1921  &ndash November 24, 2002) was an American Philosopher, a Professor of This article gives information on liberalism in diverse countries around the world A general overview and comprehensive discussion of this topic may be found in the article Liberalism. Liberalism in the United States is a broad political and philosophical mindset favoring individual Liberty, and opposing restrictions on liberty whether they come from Liberal International is a Political international for liberal parties. The International Federation of Liberal Youth ( IFLRY) is an international liberal youth organization The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (founded in 1993 is a liberal party, mainly active in the European Union, composed of 55 national parties from across The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe ( French: Alliance des Démocrates et des Libéraux pour l'Europe) is an alliance between two European political parties European Liberal Youth (LYMEC - Liberal and Radical Youth Movement of the European Community is an international organisation of Liberal youth movements - mostly the youth The Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats is a regional organization of liberal and democratic political parties in Asia The Africa Liberal Network (ALN is an organization composed of 16 political parties from 14 African nations and is an associated organisation of Liberal The Liberal Network for Latin America ( Red Liberal de América Latina RELIAL) is an international network founded in 2003 with the official launch taking place in Costa Rica The Age of Enlightenment or The Enlightenment is a term used to describe a phase in Western philosophy and cultural life centered upon the eighteenth century At the time, the vast majority of European states were monarchies, with political power held either by the monarch or the aristocracy. A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or Aristocracy is a form of Government, where rule is established through an internal struggle over who has the most status and influence over society and internal relations The possibility of democracy had not been seriously considered by political theory since classical antiquity, and the widely held belief was that democracies would be inherently unstable and chaotic in their policies due to the changing whims of the people. Classical antiquity (also the classical era or classical period) is a broad term for a long period of cultural History centered on the Mediterranean It was further believed that democracy was contrary to human nature, as human beings were seen to be inherently evil, violent and in need of a strong leader to restrain their destructive impulses. Human nature is the concept that there are a set of logical characteristics including ways of thinking feeling and acting that all 'normal' human beings have in common Many European monarchs held that their power had been ordained by God, and that questioning their right to rule was tantamount to blasphemy. The Divine Right of Kings is a general term that refers to the philosophy and ideas used to justify the authority and legitimacy of Monarchs in Medieval and Blasphemy is the disrespectful use of the name of one or more gods.

These conventional views were challenged at first by a relatively small group of Enlightenment intellectuals, who believed that human affairs should be guided by reason and principles of liberty and equality. An intellectual (from the adjective meaning "involving thought and reason" is a person who tries to use his or her Intelligence and analytical thinking, Reason involves the ability to think understand and draw Conclusions in an Abstract way as in Human thinking They argued that all people are created equal, and therefore political authority cannot be justified on the basis of "noble blood", a supposed privileged connection to God, or any other characteristic that is alleged to make one person superior to others. The quotation "All men are created equal" is arguably the best-known phrase in any of America 's political documents as the idea it expresses is generally considered They further argued that governments exist to serve the people, not vice versa, and that laws should apply to those who govern as well as to the governed (a concept known as rule of law). The rule of law, in its most basic form is the principle that no one is above the law

Near the end of the 18th century, these ideas inspired the American Revolution and the French Revolution, which gave birth to the ideology of liberalism and instituted forms of government that attempted to apply the principles of the Enlightenment philosophers into practice. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an Liberalism is a broad array of related ideas and theories of Government that consider individual Liberty to be the most important political goal Neither of these forms of government was precisely what we would call a liberal democracy we know today (the most significant difference being that voting rights were still restricted to a minority of the population), and the French attempt turned out to be short-lived, but they were the prototypes from which liberal democracy later grew. Since the supporters of these forms of government were known as liberals, the governments themselves came to be known as liberal democracies.

When the first prototypical liberal democracies were founded, the liberals themselves were viewed as an extreme and rather dangerous fringe group that threatened international peace and stability. The conservative monarchists who opposed liberalism and democracy saw themselves as defenders of traditional values and the natural order of things, and their criticism of democracy seemed vindicated when Napoleon Bonaparte took control of the young French Republic, reorganized it into the first French Empire and proceeded to conquer most of Europe. Monarchism is the advocacy of the establishment preservation or restoration of a Monarchy as a Form of government in a nation Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. The First Republic in France, officially the French Republic (République française was proclaimed on 21 September 1792 during the French Revolution. The Empire of the French (1804-1814 also known as the Empire of France, Greater French Empire, First French Empire, French Empire, or Napoleon was eventually defeated and the Holy Alliance was formed in Europe to prevent any further spread of liberalism or democracy. The Holy Alliance was a Coalition of Russia, Austria and Prussia created in 1815 at the behest of Tsar Alexander I of Russia However, liberal democratic ideals soon became widespread among the general population, and, over the 19th century, traditional monarchy was forced on a continuous defensive and withdrawal. Reforms and revolutions helped move most European countries towards liberal democracy. Liberalism ceased being a fringe opinion and joined the political mainstream. At the same time, a number of non-liberal ideologies developed that took the concept of liberal democracy and made it their own. The political spectrum changed; traditional monarchy became more and more a fringe view and liberal democracy became more and more mainstream. By the end of the 19th century, liberal democracy was no longer only a "liberal" idea, but an idea supported by many different ideologies. After World War I and especially after World War II, liberal democracy achieved a dominant position among theories of government and is now endorsed by the vast majority of the political spectrum. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

Although liberal democracy was originally put forward by Enlightenment liberals, the relationship between democracy and liberalism has been controversial since the beginning. The ideology of liberalism—particularly in its classical form—is highly individualistic and concerns itself with limiting the power of the state over the individual. Classical liberalism (also known as traditional liberalism, Laissez-faire liberalism, Market liberalism or in much of the world In contrast, democracy is seen by some as a collectivist ideal, concerned with empowering the masses. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system Collectivism is a term used to describe any moral political or social outlook that stresses human Interdependence and the importance of a Collective, rather than Thus, liberal democracy may be seen as a compromise between liberal individualism and democratic collectivism. Those who hold this view sometimes point to the existence of illiberal democracy and liberal autocracy as evidence that constitutional liberalism and democratic government are not necessarily interconnected. An illiberal democracy is a governing system in which although fairly free elections take place citizens are cut off from real power due to the lack of Civil liberties. A liberal autocracy is a non-democratic government that follows the principles of Liberalism. On the other hand, there is the view that constitutional liberalism and democratic government are not only compatible but necessary for the true existence of each other, both arising from the underlying concept of political equality. Freedom House today simply defines liberal democracy as an electoral democracy also protecting civil liberties. Freedom House is a United States -based international Non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on Democracy, political thumb| |Broken Liberty Istanbul Archaeology Museum Civil liberties are freedoms that protect the Individual from the Government.

Liberal democracies around the world

This map reflects the findings of Freedom House's survey Freedom in the World 2008. Freedom in the World is a yearly report by US-based Freedom House that attempts to measure the degree of Democracy and political freedom Freedom House considers the green nations to be liberal democracies. Some of these estimates are disputed.

██ Free        ██ Partly Free    ██ Not Free

This graph shows the number of nations in the different categories given above for the period for which there are surveys, 1972–2005

States by their systems of government as of April 2006.

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     presidential republics, full presidential system      presidential republics, parliament supervising an executive presidency      presidential republics, semi-presidential system      parliamentary republics      parliamentary constitutional monarchies in which the monarch does not personally exercise power      constitutional monarchies in which the monarch personally exercises power, often alongside a weak parliament      absolute monarchies      states whose constitutions grant only a single party the right to govern      states where constitutional provisions for government have been suspended

The above image include only those states designated "electoral democracies" in Freedom House's survey Freedom in the World 2006. A presidential system is a System of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term separately from the Legislature A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which An executive president is a President who exercises active executive power in a certain systems of government. The semi-presidential system is a System of government in which a prime minister and a President are both active participants in the day-to-day administration A parliamentary republic or parliamentary constitutional republic is a form of a Republic which operates under a Parliamentary system of government A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is Absolute monarchy is a monarchical Form of government where the king and queen have absolute power over everything A single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a type of Party system Government in which a single Political party Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of the people's representatives Freedom in the World is a yearly report by US-based Freedom House that attempts to measure the degree of Democracy and political freedom Note that not all nations which are officially democracies (as indicated by the middle image) are considered to be democratic in practice (as indicated by the last image).

Several organisations and political scientists maintain lists of free and unfree states, both in the present and going back a couple centuries. Of these, the best known may be the Polity Data Set^[7] and that produced by Freedom House. Freedom House is a United States -based international Non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on Democracy, political

There is general agreement that the states of the European Union, Japan, the United States, Canada, India, Mexico, South Africa, Israel, Australia, and New Zealand are liberal democracies, with Canada having the largest land area and India currently having the largest population among the democracies in the world. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country ^[8]

Freedom House considers many of the officially democratic governments in Africa and the former Soviet Union to be undemocratic in practice, usually because the sitting government has a strong influence over election outcomes. Many of these countries are in a state of considerable flux.

Officially non-democratic forms of government, such as single-party states and dictatorships are more common in East Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa.

Types of liberal democracies

De facto liberal democracies

Liberal democracy is sometimes the de facto form of government, while other forms are technically the case; for example, the Canadian monarchy is in fact ruled by a democratically elected Parliament, and the government's ability to create laws that would infringe on individual liberty is curtailed by a codified constitution. TalkCommonewalth realm.-->The monarchy of The Parliament of Canada (Parlement du Canada is Canada 's legislative branch, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. In the United Kingdom, the sovereign is the hereditary monarch, but the de facto (legislative) sovereign is the people, via their elected representatives in Parliament, hence a democracy.

Many disagree with any form of hereditary privilege, including monarchy. Monarchists reply that the monarchy in these nations is almost entirely ceremonial rather than political.

Proportional and plurality representation

Plurality voting system award seats according to regional majorities. The plurality voting system is a Single-winner voting system often used to elect executive officers or to elect members of a legislative assembly which is based on single-member The political party or individual candidate who receives the most votes, wins the seat which represents that locality. There are other democratic electoral systems, such as the various forms of proportional representation, which award seats according to the proportion of individual votes that a party receives nation-wide or in a particular region. Proportional representation (sometimes referred to as full representation or PR is a category of electoral formula aiming at a close match between the percentage of votes

One of the main points of contention between these two systems, is whether to have representatives who are able to effectively represent specific regions in a country, or to have all citizens' vote count the same, regardless of where in the country they happen to live.

Some countries such as Germany and New Zealand, address the conflict between these two forms of representation, by having two categories of seats in the lower house of their federal legislative bodies. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island The first category of seats is appointed according to regional popularity, and the remainder are awarded to give the parties a proportion of seats that is equal - or as equal as practicable - to their proportion of nation-wide votes. This system is commonly called mixed member proportional representation. Mixed member proportional representation, also termed mixed-member proportional voting and commonly abbreviated to MMP, is an ' additional member '

Australia incorporates both systems in having the plurality voting system applicable to the lower house and proportional representation by state in the upper house. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The plurality voting system is a Single-winner voting system often used to elect executive officers or to elect members of a legislative assembly which is based on single-member The House of Representatives is one of the two houses (chambers of the Parliament of Australia; it is the Lower house, the Upper house being the Senate Proportional representation (sometimes referred to as full representation or PR is a category of electoral formula aiming at a close match between the percentage of votes The Senate is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia. This system is argued to result in a more stable government, while having a better diversity of parties to review its actions.

Presidential and parliamentary systems

A presidential system is a system of government of a republic where the executive branch is elected separately from the legislative. A presidential system is a System of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term separately from the Legislature A system of government is a term that refers to the set of political Institutions by which a Government of a State is organized in order to exert its powers A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation A parliamentary system is distinguished by the executive branch of government being dependent on the direct or indirect support of the parliament, often expressed through a vote of confidence. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. TalkParliament#Screen-size. -->A  parliament is a Legislature, especially in those A Motion of Confidence is a motion of support proposed by a government in a Parliament or other assembly of elected representatives to give members of parliament (or

The presidential system of democratic government has become popular in Latin America, Africa, and parts of the former Soviet Union, largely by the example of the United States. Constitutional monarchies (dominated by elected parliaments) are popular in Northern Europe and some former colonies which peacefully separated, such as Australia and Canada. Others have also arisen in Spain, East Asia, and a variety of small nations around the world. Former British territories such as South Africa, India, Ireland, and the United States opted for different forms at the time of independence. The parliamentary system is popular in the European Union and neighboring countries. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in

Advantages and disadvantages of liberal democracy

Lacking direct democracy

"Liberal democracy" does not respect absolute majority rule (except when electing representatives). Majority rule is a decision rule that makes one of two alternatives the "winner" based on which has more than half the votes The "liberty" of majority rule is restricted by the constitution or precedent decided by previous generations. A constitution is a system for government often Codified as a written document that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity In Common law legal systems, a precedent or authority is a Legal case establishing a principle or rule that a Court or other judicial Also, the real power is actually held by a relatively small representative body. Thus, the argument goes, "liberal democracy" is merely a decoration over an oligarchy. Oligarchy' ( Greek, Oligarkhía) is a Form of government where Political power effectively rests with a small elite segment

Thus, proponents of other democratic systems see them as preferable. For example, direct democracy. Direct Democracy is a movement within the British Conservative Party dedicated to localism and Constitutional reform as a means of reviving public Others would say that only a liberal democracy can guarantee the individual liberties of its citizens and prevent the development of a dictatorship. Unmoderated majority rule could, in this view, lead to an oppression of minorities (see Majoritarianism below. ) Another argument is that the elected leaders may be more interested and able than the average voter. A third that it takes much effort and time if everyone should gather information, discuss, and vote on most issues. Direct democracy proponents in turn have counter-arguments, see the Direct democracy article. Direct Democracy is a movement within the British Conservative Party dedicated to localism and Constitutional reform as a means of reviving public

Some liberal democracies have elements of direct democracy such as referendums, plebiscite, and models of "Deliberative democracy". A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita Deliberative democracy also sometimes called discursive democracy, is a term used by some political theorists to refer to any system of political decisions based Switzerland and Uruguay are some examples; likewise several states of the United States. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Many other countries have referendums to a lesser degree in their political system.

Dictatorship of the Bourgeoisie

Marxists, socialists and left-wing anarchists, argue that liberal democracy is an integral part of the capitalist system and is class-based and not democratic or participatory. Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i Capitalism is the Economic system in which the Means of production are owned by private Persons and operated for Profit and where Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions (or stratification) between individuals or groups in Societies or Cultures. Participatory democracy is a process emphasizing the broad Participation (decision making of constituents in the direction and operation of political systems It is bourgeois democracy because ultimately politicians fight only for the rights of the bourgeoisie. Because of this it is seen as fundamentally undemocratic, existing or operating in a way that facilitates economic exploitation. According to Marx, parliamentary elections are an opportunity citizens of a country get every few years to decide who among the ruling classes will misrepresent them in parliament. ^[9]

The cost of political campaigning in representative democracies favors the rich, a form of plutocracy who are a very small minority of the voters. Plutocracy is rule by the wealthy or power provided by wealth In Athenian democracy, some public offices were randomly allocated to citizens, in order to inhibit the effects of plutocracy. Randomness is a lack of order Purpose, cause, or predictability Aristotle described the law courts in Athens which were selected by lot as democratic^[10] and described elections as oligarchic. ^[11]

Modern democracy has also been attacked by socialists as a dishonest farce used to keep the masses from realizing that their will is irrelevant in the political process. While at the same time a conspiracy for making them restless for some political agenda. In a political sense conspiracy refers to a group of persons united in the goal of usurping or overthrowing an established political power Some contend that it encourages candidates to make deals with wealthy supporters, offering favorable legislation if the candidate is elected - perpetuating conspiracies for monopolization of key areas. In a political sense conspiracy refers to a group of persons united in the goal of usurping or overthrowing an established political power In Economics, a monopoly (from Greek monos, alone or single + polein, to sell exists when a specific individual or enterprise has sufficient Campaign finance reform is an attempt to correct this perceived problem. Campaign finance reform is the common term for the political effort in the United States to change the involvement of money in Politics, primarily in Political In response to these claims, United States economist Steven Levitt argues in his book Freakonomics that campaign spending is no guarantee of electoral success. Steven David "Steve" Levitt (born May 29, 1967) is a prominent American Economist best known for his work on crime in particular on Freakonomics A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything is a 2005 non-fiction book by University of Chicago Economist Steven Levitt He compared electoral success of the same pair of candidates running against one another repeatedly for the same job, as often happens in United States Congressional elections, where spending levels varied. He concludes:

"A winning candidate can cut his spending in half and lose only 1 percent of the vote. Meanwhile, a losing candidate who doubles his spending can expect to shift the vote in his favor by only that same 1 percent. "

Also, many modern democracies have progressive taxation, wealth tax, and/or inheritance tax. A progressive tax is a Tax imposed so that the Tax rate increases as the amount subject to taxation increases Because of the broad term "wealth" Property tax, capital transfer taxes ( Inheritance tax, Estate tax, Gift tax) Endowment tax Estate tax and Death duty redirect here Inheritance tax, estate tax and death duty are the names given to various taxes which Thus, if current inequality is seen as undesirable by the majority, in principle this can be reduced within the current system by simply adjusting these taxes.

Ownership of the media by the few has also been claimed to lead to more specific distortion of the electoral process, since the media is a vital element of that process. Some critics argue that criticism of the status quo or a particular agenda tends to be suppressed by such media cartels, to protect their own self-interests. Status quo is a Latin term meaning the present existing state of affairs or "the state in which" Although freedom of speech exists, and is protected, only the very wealthy can actually acquire mediums of communication to broadcast their views. Proponents respond that constitutionally protected freedom of speech makes it possible for both for-profit and non-profit organizations to debate the issues. Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without Censorship or Limitation. They argue that media coverage in democracies simply reflects public preferences, and does not entail censorship. Especially with new forms of media such as the internet it is not expensive to reach a wide audience, if there is an interest for the ideas presented.

Limited voter turnout

For more details on this topic, see Voter turnout. Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a Ballot in an Election.

Low voter turnout, whether the cause is disenchantment, indifference or contentment with the status quo, may be seen as a problem, especially if disproportionate in particular segments of the population. Although turnout levels vary greatly among modern democratic countries, and in various types and levels of elections within countries, at some point low turnout may prompt questions as to whether the results reflect the will of the people, whether the causes may be indicative of concerns to the society in question, or in extreme cases the legitimacy of the electoral system.

Get out the vote campaigns, either by governments or private groups, may increase voter turnout, but distinctions must be made between general campaigns to raise the turnout rate and partisan efforts to aid a particular candidate, party or cause. " Get out the vote," sometimes " GOTV," is a term used to describe two categories of political activity both aimed at increasing the number of votes cast

Several nations have forms of compulsory voting, with various degrees of enforcement. Compulsory voting requires electors to Vote in Elections or attend a polling place on voting day Proponents argue that this increases the legitimacy, and thus also popular acceptance, of the elections and ensures political participation by all those affected by the political process, and reduces the costs associated with encouraging voting. Arguments against include restriction of freedom, economic costs of enforcement, increased number of invalid and blank votes, and random voting. [4]

Other alternatives include increased use of absentee ballots, or other measures to ease or improve the ability to vote, including Electronic voting. An absentee ballot is a Vote cast by someone who is unable or unwilling to attend the official Polling station. Electronic voting (also known as e-voting) is a term encompassing several different types of Voting, embracing both electronic means of casting a vote and electronic

Ethnic and religious conflicts

For historical reasons, many states are not culturally and ethnically homogeneous. There may be sharp ethnic, linguistic, religious and cultural divisions. In fact, some groups may be actively hostile to each other. A democracy, which by definition allows mass participation in decision-making theoretically also allows the use of the political process against 'enemy' groups. That may be especially visible during democratization, if the previous non-democratic government oppressed certain groups. Democratization ( British English: Democratisation) is the transition to a more democratic Political regime. It is also visible in established democracies, in the form of anti-immigrant populism. Populism is a discourse which supports "the people" versus "the Elites " Populism may involve either a political philosophy urging social and political However, arguably the worst repressions have occurred in states without universal suffrage, like formerly apartheid South Africa and Nazi Germany.

The collapse of the Soviet Union and the partial democratisation of Soviet bloc states was followed by wars and civil war in the former Yugoslavia, in the Caucasus, and in Moldova. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Democratization ( British English: Democratisation) is the transition to a more democratic Political regime. A civil war is a War between a State and domestic political actors that are in control of some part of the territory claimed by the state See also Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian The Caucasus ( also referred to as North Caucasus) is a geopolitical region located between Europe Asia & Middle East Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova ( Republica Moldova) is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, located between Romania Nevertheless, statistical research shows that the fall of Communism and the increase in the number of democratic states were accompanied by a sudden and dramatic decline in total warfare, interstate wars, ethnic wars, revolutionary wars, and the number of refugees and displaced people. Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based A revolutionary when used as a noun is a person who either actively engages in some kind of Revolution, or advocates the revolution with recognition from some government or According to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, a refugee is a person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race ^[12] See also the section below on Majoritarianism and Democratic peace theory.

In her book World on Fire, Yale Law School professor Amy Chua posits that "when free market democracy is pursued in the presence of a market-dominant minority, the almost invariable result is backlash. World On Fire How Exporting Free Market Democracy Breeds Ethnic Hatred and Global Instability is a 2002 book published by Yale Law School professor Yale Law School, or YLS, is the Law school of Yale University in New Haven Connecticut. Amy L Chua ( born 1962 in Champaign Illinois) is the John M Duff Jr This backlash typically takes one of three forms. The first is a backlash against markets, targeting the market-dominant minority's wealth. The second is a backlash against democracy by forces favorable to the market-dominant minority. The third is violence, sometimes genocidal, directed against the market-dominant minority itself. "^[13].

Bureaucracy

A persistent libertarian and monarchist critique of democracy is the claim that it encourages the elected representatives to change the law without necessity, and in particular to pour forth a flood of new laws. Libertarianism is a term used by a broad spectrum of political philosophies which prioritize individual Liberty and seek to minimize or even abolish the Monarchism is the advocacy of the establishment preservation or restoration of a Monarchy as a Form of government in a nation This is seen as pernicious in several ways. New laws constrict the scope of what were previously private liberties. Rapidly changing laws make it difficult for a willing non-specialist to remain law-abiding. This may be an invitation for law-enforcement agencies to misuse power. The claimed continual complication of the law may be contrary to a claimed simple and eternal natural law - although there is no consensus on what this natural law is, even among advocates. Natural law or the law of nature ( Latin: lex naturalis) is a theory that posits the existence of a law whose content is set by Nature and that Supporters of democracy point to the complex bureaucracy and regulations that has occurred in dictatorships, like many of the former Communist states.

Liberal democracies are also criticized for a claimed slowness and complexity of their decision-making.

Short-term focus

Modern liberal democracies, by definition, allow for regular changes of government. That has led to a common criticism of their short-term focus. In four or five years the government will face a new election, and it must think of how it will win that election. That would encourage a preference for policies that will bring short term benefits to the electorate (or to self-interested politicians) before the next election, rather than unpopular policy with longer term benefits. This criticism assumes that it is possible to make long term predictions for a society, something Karl Popper has criticized as historicism. Sir Karl Raimund Popper ( July 28 1902  &ndash September 17 1994) was an Austrian and British Philosopher and a professor Historicism refers to philosophical theories that include one or both of two claims that there is an organic succession of developments a notion also

Besides the regular review of governing entities, short-term focus in a democracy could also be the result of collective short-term thinking. For example, consider a campaign for policies aimed at reducing environmental damage while causing temporary increase in unemployment. However, this risk applies also to other political systems.

Anarcho-capitalist Hans-Herman Hoppe explained short-termism of the democratic governments by the rational choice of currently ruling group to over exploit temporarily accessible resources, thus deriving maximal economic advantage to the members of this group. Anarcho-capitalism (also known as Free-market anarchism) is an individualist anarchist Political philosophy that advocates the elimination Hans-Hermann Hoppe (born September 2, 1949) is an Austrian school Economist of the anarcho-capitalist tradition and a former economics (He contrasted this with hereditary monarchy, in which a monarch has an interest in preserving the long-term capital value of his property (i. A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or e. the country he owns) counter-balancing his desire to extract immediate revenue. He argues that the historical record of levels of taxation in certain monarchies (5–8%) and certain liberal democracies (40–60%) seems to confirm this contention^[14]. On the other hand, in hereditary autocracies like North Korea the state controls the whole economy while many liberal democratic states that score very high on rankings of economic freedom. Economic freedom is freedom to produce trade and consume any goods and services acquired without the use of force fraud or theft

Public choice theory

Public choice theory is a branch of economics that studies the decision-making behavior of voters, politicians and government officials from the perspective of economic theory. Public choice in economic theory is the use of modern Economic tools to study problems that are traditionally in the province of Political science. Economics is the social science that studies the production distribution, and consumption of goods and services. One studied problem is that each voter has little influence and may therefore have a rational ignorance regarding political issues. Rational ignorance is a term most often found in Economics particularly Public choice theory, but also used in other disciplines which study Rationality This may allow special interest groups to gain subsidies and regulations beneficial to them but harmful to society. An interest group (also advocacy group, lobby group, pressure group or special interest group) is an organized collection of people who seek In Economics, a subsidy (also known as a subvention is a form of financial assistance paid to a business or economic sector However, special interest groups may be equally or more influential in nondemocracies.

Majoritarianism

Main article: Majoritarianism

The "tyranny of the majority" is the fear that a democratic government, reflecting the majority view, can take action that oppresses a particular minority. Majoritarianism is a traditional Political philosophy or agenda which asserts that a Majority (sometimes categorized by Religion, Language, or The phrase tyranny of the majority, used in discussing systems of Democracy and Majority rule, is a criticism of the Scenario in which decisions made Theoretically, the majority could only be a majority of those who vote and not a majority of the citizens. In those cases, one minority tyrannizes another minority in the name of the majority. It can apply in both direct democracy or representative democracy. Direct Democracy is a movement within the British Conservative Party dedicated to localism and Constitutional reform as a means of reviving public Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of the people's representatives Several de facto dictatorships also have compulsory, but not free and fair, voting in order to try to increase the legitimacy of the regime.

Possible examples include:

• those potentially subject to conscription are a minority. Conscription (also known as the draft, the call-up or national service) is a general term for involuntary labor demanded by some established authority
• several European countries have introduced bans on personal religious symbols in public schools. Opponents see this as a violation of rights to freedom of religion. Supporters see it as following from the separation of state and religious activities.
• prohibition of pornography is typically determined by what the majority is prepared to accept. Pornography or porn is the explicit depiction of Sexual subject matter with the sole intention of sexually exciting the viewer
• recreational drug use is also typically legalized (or at least tolerated) to the degree that the majority finds acceptable. Recreational drug use is the use of Psychoactive drugs for Recreational purposes rather than for work, medical or spiritual purposes Users may see themselves as an oppressed minority, victims of unjustifiable criminalisation. The War on Drugs is a prohibition campaign undertaken by the United States government with the assistance of participating countries intended to reduce the Illegal
• society's treatment of homosexuals is also cited in this context. Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. Homosexual acts were widely criminalised in democracies until several decades ago; in some democracies they still are, reflecting the religious or sexual mores of the majority.
• the Athenian democracy and the early United States had slavery. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another
• the majority often taxes the minority who are wealthy at progressively higher rates, with the intention that the wealthy will incur a larger tax burden for social purposes. A progressive tax is a Tax imposed so that the Tax rate increases as the amount subject to taxation increases However, this is offset to some degree by paying for relevant expert advice (tax consultants and lawyers).
• in prosperous western democracies, the poor form a minority of the population, and may not have the power to use the state to initiate redistribution when a majority of the electorate opposes such designs. When the poor form a distinct underclass, the majority may use the democratic process to, in effect, withdraw the protection of the state. The contemporary concept of the underclass is a sanitized term for what was known in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as the undeserving poor and may have been coined by American sociologist A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population.
• An often quoted example of the 'tyranny of the majority' is that Adolf Hitler came to power by legitimate democratic procedures. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately The Nazi party gained the largest share of votes in the democratic Weimar republic in 1933 . Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German The term Weimar Republic ( ˈvaɪmarɐ repuˈbliːk is used by historians to signify the democratic and Republican period of Germany from 1919 to 1933 Some might consider this an example of "tyranny of a minority" since he never gained a majority vote, but it is common for a plurality to exercise power in democracies, so the rise of Hitler cannot be considered irrelevant. However, his regime's large-scale human rights violations took place after the democratic system had been abolished. Also, the social democratic Weimar constitution in an "emergency" allowed dictatorial powers and suspension of the essentials of the constitution itself without any vote or election, something not possible in most liberal democracies.

Proponents of democracy make a number of defenses concerning 'tyranny of the majority'. One is to argue that the presence of a constitution protecting the rights of all citizens in many democratic countries acts as a safeguard. A constitution is a system for government often Codified as a written document that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity Generally, changes in these constitutions require the agreement of a supermajority of the elected representatives, or require a judge and jury to agree that evidentiary and procedural standards have been fulfilled by the state, or two different votes by the representatives separated by an election, or, sometimes, a referendum. A supermajority or a qualified majority is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level or type of support which exceeds a simple Majority in order to have A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita These requirements are often combined. The separation of powers into legislative branch, executive branch, judicial branch also makes it more difficult for a small majority to impose their will. Separation of powers, a term ascribed to French Enlightenment Political philosopher Baron de Montesquieu, is a model for the Governance A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. In Law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of Courts which administer Justice in the name of the sovereign or State This means a majority can still legitimately coerce a minority (which is still ethically questionable), but such a minority would be very small and, as a practical matter, it is harder to get a larger proportion of the people to agree to such actions.

Another argument is that majorities and minorities can take a markedly different shape on different issues. People often agree with the majority view on some issues and agree with a minority view on other issues. One's view may also change. Thus, the members of a majority may limit oppression of a minority since they may well in the future themselves be in a minority.

A third common argument is that, despite the risks, majority rule is preferable to other systems, and the tyranny of the majority is in any case an improvement on a tyranny of a minority. All the possible problems mentioned above can also occur in nondemocracies with the added problem that a minority can oppress the majority. Proponents of democracy argue that empirical statistical evidence strongly shows that more democracy leads to less internal violence and mass murder by the government. . This is sometimes formulated as Rummel's Law, which states that the less democratic freedom a people have, the more likely their rulers are to murder them. Rummel's Law states that the less freedom a people have the more likely their rulers are to murder them

Political stability

One argument for democracy is that by creating a system where the public can remove administrations, without changing the legal basis for government, democracy aims at reducing political uncertainty and instability, and assuring citizens that however much they may disagree with present policies, they will be given a regular chance to change those who are in power, or change policies with which they disagree. This is preferable to a system where political change takes place through violence.

Some think that political stability may be considered as excessive when the group in power remains the same for an extended period of time. On the other hand, this is more common in nondemocracies.

One notable feature of liberal democracies is that their opponents (those groups who wish to abolish liberal democracy) rarely win elections. Advocates use this as an argument to support their view that liberal democracy is inherently stable and can usually only be overthrown by external force, while opponents argue that the system is inherently stacked against them despite its claims to impartiality. In the past, it was feared that democracy could be easily exploited by leaders with dictatorial aspirations, who could get themselves elected into power. However, the actual number of liberal democracies that have elected dictators into power is low. When it has occurred, it is usually after a major crisis have caused many people to doubt the system or in young/poorly functioning democracies. Some possible examples include Adolf Hitler during the Great Depression, Napoleon III who become first President of the young Second French Republic and later Emperor, and Vladimir Putin of Russia. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Napoléon III, also known as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (full name Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte) (20 April 1808 9 January 1873 was the first President History Revolution of 1848 See also Mid-nineteenth century France The industrial population of the Faubourgs Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (; born 7 October 1952 in Leningrad, USSR; now Saint Petersburg, Russia was the second President of Russia Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending

Effective response in wartime

A liberal democracy, by definition, implies that power is not concentrated. One criticism is that this could be a disadvantage for a state in wartime, when a fast and unified response is necessary. War is an international relations Dispute, characterized by organized Violence between National Military units The legislature usually must give consent before the start of an offensive military operation, although sometimes the executive can do this on its own while keeping the legislature informed. If the democracy is attacked, then no consent is usually required for defensive operations. The people may vote against a conscription army. Conscription (also known as the draft, the call-up or national service) is a general term for involuntary labor demanded by some established authority

However, actual research shows that democracies are more likely to win wars than non-democracies. One explanation attributes this primarily to "the transparency of the polities, and the stability of their preferences, once determined, democracies are better able to cooperate with their partners in the conduct of wars". Polity ( Greek: Πολιτεία or Πολίτευμα transliterated as Politeía or Políteuma) was originally a term used in Ancient Greece Other research attributes this to superior mobilization of resources or selection of wars that the democratic states have a high chance of winning. ^[15]

Stam and Reiter (2002, p. 64–70) also note that the emphasis on individuality within democratic societies means that their soldiers fight with greater initiative and superior leadership. Officers in dictatorships are often selected for political loyalty rather than ability. They may be exclusively selected from a small class or religious/ethnic group that support the regime. Also this may also exclude many able officers. The leaders in nondemocracies may respond violently to any perceived criticisms or disobedience. This may make the soldiers and officers afraid to raise any objections or do anything without explicit authorisation. The lack of initiative may be particularly detrimental in modern warfare. Enemy soldiers may more easily surrender to democracies since they can expect comparatively good treatment. Nazi Germany killed almost 2/3 of the captured Soviet soldiers. 38% of the American soldiers captured by North Korea in the Korean War were killed. The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the

Better information on and corrections of problems

A democratic system may provide better information for policy decisions. Undesirable information may more easily be ignored in dictatorships, even if this undesirable or contrarian information provides early warning of problems. The democratic system also provides a way to replace inefficient leaders and policies. Thus, problems may continue longer and crises of all kinds may be more common in autocracies. ^[16]

Corruption

Research by the World Bank suggests that political institutions are extremely important in determining the prevalence of corruption: democracy, parliamentary systems, political stability, and freedom of the press are all associated with lower corruption. The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e Political corruption is the use of governmental powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain ^[17] Freedom of information legislation is important for accountability and transparency. Accountability is a concept in Ethics with several meanings It is often used synonymously with such concepts as answerability enforcement responsibility, blameworthiness The Indian Right to Information Act "has already engendered mass movements in the country that is bringing the lethargic, often corrupt bureaucracy to its knees and changing power equations completely. The Right to Information Act 2005 (Act No 22/2005 is a law enacted by the Parliament of India giving citizens of India access to records of the Central Government "^[18]

Terrorism

Several studies have concluded that terrorism is most common in nations with intermediate political freedom. The nations with the least terrorism are the most democratic nations[5]. However, critics of Western states such as Noam Chomsky have argued that, according to official definitions of terrorism, liberal democratic states have committed many acts of terrorism against other nations. Avram Noam Chomsky (noʊm ˈtʃɑmski born December 7 1928 is an American linguist, Philosopher, cognitive scientist, Political [6]

Economic growth and financial crises

Statistically, more democracy correlates with a higher gross domestic product (GDP) per capita.

However, there is disagreement regarding how much credit the democratic system can take for this. One observation is that democracy became widespread only after the industrial revolution and the introduction of capitalism. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the Capitalism is the Economic system in which the Means of production are owned by private Persons and operated for Profit and where On the other hand, the industrial revolution started in England which was one of the most democratic nations for its time within its own borders. (But this democracy was very limited and did not apply to the colonies which contributed significantly to the wealth. )

Several statistical studies support the theory that more capitalism, measured for example with one the several Indices of Economic Freedom which has been used in hundreds of studies by independent researchers,^[19] increases economic growth and that this in turn increases general prosperity, reduces poverty, and causes democratization. The Index of Economic Freedom is a series of 10 economic measurements created by the Wall Street Journal and The Heritage Foundation to measure the degree of Economic freedom Economic growth is the increase in the amount of the goods and services produced by an economy over time Democratization ( British English: Democratisation) is the transition to a more democratic Political regime. This is a statistical tendency, and there are individual exceptions like India, which is democratic but arguably not prosperous, or Brunei, which has a high GDP but has never been democratic. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Brunei Darussalam, (bruːˈnaɪ in English officially the State of Brunei Abode of Peace (Negara Brunei Darussalam Jawi: برني دارالسلام There are also other studies suggesting that more democracy increases economic freedom although a few find no or even a small negative effect. ^{[20][21][22][23][24][25]} One objection might be that nations like Sweden and Canada today score just below nations like Chile and Estonia on economic freedom but that Sweden and Canada today have a higher GDP per capita. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region However, this is a misunderstanding, the studies indicate effect on economic growth and thus that future GDP per capita will be higher with higher economic freedom. It should also be noted that according to the index Sweden and Canada are among the world's most capitalist nations, due to factors such as strong rule of law, strong property rights, and few restrictions against free trade. The rule of law, in its most basic form is the principle that no one is above the law Property is any physical or virtual entity that is owned by an individual Free trade is a system in which the trade of goods and services between or within countries flows unhindered by government-imposed restrictions Critics might argue that the Index of Economic Freedom and other methods used does not measure the degree of capitalism, preferring some other definition.

Some argue that economic growth due to its empowerment of citizens, will ensure a transition to democracy in countries such as China. However, other dispute this. Even if economic growth has caused democratization in the past, it may not do so in the future. Dictators may now have learned how to have economic growth without this causing more political freedom. ^[26]

A high degree of oil or mineral exports is strongly associated with nondemocratic rule. This effect applies worldwide and not only to the Middle East. Dictators who have this form of wealth can spend more on their security apparatus and provide benefits which lessen public unrest. Also, such wealth is not followed by the social and cultural changes that may transform societies with ordinary economic growth. ^[27]

A recent meta-analysis finds that democracy has no direct effect on economic growth. However, it has a strong and significant indirect effects which contribute to growth. Democracy is associated with higher human capital accumulation, lower inflation, lower political instability, and higher economic freedom. In economics inflation or price inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services over a period of time The Index of Economic Freedom is a series of 10 economic measurements created by the Wall Street Journal and The Heritage Foundation to measure the degree of Economic freedom There is also some evidence that it is associated with larger governments and more restrictions on international trade. ^[28]

If leaving out East Asia, then during the last forty-five years poor democracies have grown their economies 50% more rapidly than nondemocracies. Poor democracies such as the Baltic countries, Botswana, Costa Rica, Ghana, and Senegal have grown more rapidly than nondemocracies such as Angola, Syria, Uzbekistan, and Zimbabwe. ^[29]

Of the eighty worst financial catastrophes during the last four decades, only five were in democracies. Similarly, poor democracies are half likely as nondemocracies to experience a 10 percent decline in GDP per capita over the course of a single year. ^[30]

Famines and refugees

A prominent economist, Amartya Sen, has noted that no functioning democracy has ever suffered a large scale famine. Amartya Kumar Sen CH (Hon (অমর্ত্য কুমার সেন Ômorto Kumar Shen) (born 3 November 1933) is an Indian A famine is a widespread shortage of food that may apply to any Faunal species which phenomenon is usually accompanied by regional Malnutrition, Starvation ^[31] Refugee crises almost always occur in nondemocracies. Looking at the volume of refugee flows for the last twenty years, the first eighty-seven cases occurred in autocracies. ^[32]

Human development

Democracy correlates with a higher score on the human development index and a lower score on the human poverty index. The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP

Democracies have the potential to put in place better education, longer life expectancy, lower infant mortality, access to drinking water, and better health care than dictatorships. This is not due to higher levels of foreign assistance or spending a larger percentage of GDP on health and education. Instead, the available resources are managed better. ^[33]

Several health indicators (life expectancy and infant and maternal mortality) have a stronger and more significant association with democracy than they have with GDP per capita, size of the public sector, or income inequality. ^[34]

In the post-Communist nations, after an initial decline, those that are the most democratic have achieved the greatest gains in life expectancy. ^[35]

Democratic peace theory

Main article: Democratic peace theory

Numerous studies using many different kinds of data, definitions, and statistical analyzes have found support for the democratic peace theory. The democratic peace theory (or liberal peace theory or simply the democratic peace) holds that democracies &mdash usually liberal democracies The original finding was that liberal democracies have never made war with one another. More recent research has extended the theory and finds that democracies have few Militarized Interstate Disputes causing less than 1000 battle deaths with one another, that those MIDs that have occurred between democracies have caused few deaths, and that democracies have few civil wars. Militarized Interstate Disputes (or MIDs) are conflicts between states that do not involve a full scale War. A civil war is a War between a State and domestic political actors that are in control of some part of the territory claimed by the state ^[36] There are various criticisms of the theory, including specific historic wars and that correlation is not causation.

Mass murder by government

Research shows that the more democratic nations have much less democide or murder by government. Definition According to Rummel Genocide has three different meanings ^[37] Similarly, they have less genocide and politicide. Genocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction in whole or in part of an ethnic racial religious or national group Politicide has three related but distinct meanings It can mean a gradual but systematic attempt to cause the annihilation of an independent political and social entity ^[38]

Freedoms and rights

The freedoms and rights of the citizens in liberal democracies are usually seen as beneficial.

Happiness

Democracies are more often associated with a higher average self-reported happiness in a nation. ^[39]

Sources

Dan, Reiter; Stam, Allan C. (2002). Democracies at War. Princeton University Press. 0-691-08948-5.  

Notes

See also

• List of politics-related topics
• History of democracy
• Jeffersonian democracy
• Illiberal democracy
• Totalitarian democracy
• Social democracy
• Republicanism