In the history of the formation of any state there are examples of people who fought for the freedom of the people, equality before the law and a culture of government. Democratic orders were established in different countries in their own way. Many scholars and researchers have pondered the definition of democracy.
They looked at this term both from a political point of view and from a philosophical one. And they were able to give an empirical description of a variety of practices. Nevertheless, the theory did not always bear fruit. Most often, the practice of states influenced the formation of a concept. Thanks to her, it was possible to establish and create normative models of a democratic system. Today in political science it is difficult to find a single definition of a concept. Therefore, before we find out which democratic countries have remained on the world map, we will deal with general terms.
Power to the people
Democracy is an ancient Greek term, which is literally interpreted as "the power of the people." In political science, this concept denotes a regime whose foundation is the adoption of a collective decision. Moreover, the impact on each member should be equal.
In principle, such a method is applicable to a variety of organizations and structures. But his most important application to this day is power. This is due to the fact that the state has great power, and therefore it is difficult to organize it and cope with it.
So, democratic countries in this aspect should be characterized by the following signs:
- The implementation by people of honest and compulsory elections of their leader.
- The legitimate source of power is the people.
- Self-government of the society takes place in order to satisfy interests and establish the common good in the country.
Each member of the society has its own rights, which are necessary to ensure popular government. Democracy often includes a whole range of values, which is a "litmus test" in political experiments:
- Equality, both political and social.
- Liberty.
- Legality;
- Human rights.
- The right to self-determination, etc.
Inaccuracies
This is where the inaccuracies begin. The ideal of democracy is difficult to achieve, so the interpretation of "democracy" varies. Already from the 18th century, types appeared, more precisely, models of this regime. Direct democracy is considered the best known. This model involves citizens making decisions by consensus or by subordinating the minority to the majority.
Representative democracy can be indicated nearby . This type involves the adoption of a decision by the people through their elected deputies or other persons with certain positions. In this case, these persons make a choice based on the opinion of those who trusted them, and then are responsible for the result before them.
What were you fighting for?
It must be understood that a political regime such as democracy works to limit arbitrariness and abuse of power. This has always been difficult to achieve, especially in countries where civil liberties and other values were not recognized by the government and remained defenseless in the political system.
Now the concept of "democracy" has two sides to the coin. Democracy now began to be equated with liberal governance. Thanks to this type of democracy, along with fair and open periodic elections, there is a rule of law, division and limitation of power established by the constitution.
On the other hand, many economists and political scientists believe that it is impossible to realize the right to make decisions related to politics, as well as the influence of the people on the state system, without the establishment of social rights, a low level of inequality in the socio-economic aspect, and equal opportunities.
Threats
Democracies always face the threat of an authoritarian regime. The main problem for such a system of government is always separatism, terrorism, the growth of social inequality or migration. Despite the fact that there are many organizations in the world that protect the freedom and rights of citizens, history is not without cases when controversial political conflicts were provoked.
Current state of affairs
Before we look at the most democratic countries in the world, we should look at the general picture of the current situation. Despite the diversity of regimes of democracy, today the number of democrats is the largest in history. More than half of the world's population can vote. Moreover, even such a regime as a dictatorship can easily exist on behalf of the people.
It is known that those countries that operate under a democratic regime have given the right to vote almost the entire adult population. But later they faced such a problem that interest in political life began to plummet. For example, in the USA, 30-40% of the population takes part in elections.
There are several reasons for this. To fully understand the politics of your country, you need to stock up not just with patience, but also with a time car. Some citizens believe that politicians spend more time on the political race and their own interests. Others do not at all see the differences between the opposing parties. One way or another, the current state of affairs leads to the fact that interest in the direct form of democracy is reviving again.
Analytics
Many political scientists have worked to ensure that every state in the world has its own definition. The British Research Center has calculated a methodology that could determine the rating of the countries of the world in terms of democracy. Now you can classify 167 countries. Each of them has its own democracy index.
Today it is difficult to say how objective the selection of states on this principle can be considered. In total there are 5 categories of 12 indicators. The index was first used in 2006. During this time, there were several amendments related to changes in the political picture of the world. And even after 10 years, it is not known who is on the commission: perhaps these are employees of a research center, or maybe independent scientists.
Principle
So, in order to rank the state in four categories, it is necessary to measure the level of democracy within the country. Expert assessments and opinion polls also need to be investigated. Each country is characterized by 60 indicators, which are grouped into several categories:
- The election process and pluralism.
- The work of the government.
- The participation of citizens in the politics of their state.
- Political culture.
- Civil liberties.
Categories
According to this principle, countries can be divided into several categories. The first is complete democracy. Many people still believe that this regime is an unattainable theoretical ideal. Nevertheless, at the moment 26 countries are included in this category - that is 12% of the total population. It is believed that almost half of all countries can be attributed to this type, but the expert opinion is slightly different. They include 51 states in the category of "insufficient democracy."
The third category is the hybrid regime, which is a symbiosis of democracy and authoritarianism. In the world there are 39 powers with this type. The remaining 52 countries still maintain an authoritarian regime. By the way, the fourth category includes a third of the world's population - more than 2.5 billion people.
First of the first
The last known indexation was carried out in 2014. Altogether 25 countries can be attributed to full-fledged democracy. The top ten includes Iceland, New Zealand, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Canada, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Australia.
For several years now, Norway has been considered the leader. This constitutional monarchy received an index of 9.93. This state in Northern Europe occupies part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. Now the king of Norway is Harald V. The unitary state is based on the principle of parliamentary democracy.
Homeland Peppy Longstocking
The second place is taken by Sweden (9.73). This state is located next to Norway. It is also located on the Scandinavian Peninsula. Power is ruled by Charles XVI Gustav. The form of government is also based on the principle of parliamentary democracy in symbiosis with the constitutional monarchy.
Small state
Third place with an index of 9.58 is Iceland. On a map, this country can be found near Europe. This is an island nation.
The president is Gwudni Johannesson, who took office in June this year. He is an independent candidate. Also famous for having a degree - professor of historical sciences. Despite the fact that Iceland is barely noticeable on the map, this country is not only in the top three leaders of democratic countries, but is also famous for its other records. For example, as the largest island of volcanic origin.
In safe hands
New Zealand took fourth place (9.26). This state is located in Polynesia, in the southwestern Pacific. As in Norway, the constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy dominate here. This country is ruled by the famous Queen Elizabeth II. By the way, in addition to being the head of the British Commonwealth of Nations and Britain itself, she is also the queen of 15 independent states, including Canada, Belize, Barbados, Grenada and others. Directly in New Zealand itself there is Governor General Jerry Mateparai.
Women's custody
Denmark also ended up in democratic countries and took fifth place in the ranking (9.11). Another state that is located in Northern Europe. This power is also ruled by a woman - Margrethe II. Therefore, Denmark is a constitutional monarchy. The Queen is assisted by a unicameral parliament called Folketing.
Complex political structure
Switzerland is in sixth place (9.09). This is a federal republic, a confederation, which works with a bicameral parliament and on the principle of semi-direct democracy. Switzerland has a difficult political system. President Johann Schneider-Ammann is the chairman of the Federal Council, but in fact he is not the head of state. This role is reserved for all board members. Although in the case of complex political decisions, his voice will be decisive.
The President is considered the first among equals and he does not have the authority to lead the members of the Federal Council. It is elected only for a year. Moreover, this is done not by the people, but by the members of the council. There are only seven of them. Besides the fact that they collectively manage the state, each of them has its own department. For example, the current president is responsible for the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education, and Research.
Multinational country
Seventh place was taken by Canada (9.08). This state is located in North America. As mentioned earlier, the head of state is the Queen of Great Britain. But inside the country, Governor General David Johnston rules. Canada is a federation with a parliamentary monarchy and parliamentary democracy.
The state consists of 10 provinces. Quebec is considered the most popular. This is where most of the French-speaking population lives. The remaining provinces are more "English".
Stability
With an index of 9.03, Finland took eighth place. The characteristics of the country are mainly based on the assessment of the state as the most stable. In 2010, the state became the best in the world. It is located in the north of Europe. It is a parliamentary-presidential republic based on parliamentary democracy. Since 2012, the head of state has been Sauli Niinistö.
The president is elected by popular vote for a six-year term. The highest executive power belongs to him. Part of the legislative power is also in the hands of the head of the country, but the second half is controlled by the parliament - Eduskunte.
Mainland state
Australia ranks 9th in the ranking of the world's democracies (9.01). This power is located next to New Zealand and occupies the mainland of the same name. The head of the country is the Queen of the British Commonwealth of Nations. Governor General - Peter Cosgrove. Australia is a parliamentary monarchy that exists like all the dominions of Great Britain. Government activities are directly related to Elizabeth II and the Privy Council.
Australia is recognized as one of the most developed countries in the world. It has a stable economy and a high GDP per capita. It ranks second in the human development index and could easily become the first in the ranking of democratic countries.
Top 10
The top ten countries with a full-fledged democracy are the Netherlands (8.92). This state is a constitutional monarchy. At the moment, the head of the kingdom of Willem-Alexander. In the Netherlands, there is a bicameral parliament, which is based on parliamentary democracy. Amsterdam is considered to be the capital of the state. It is here that the monarch takes the oath of allegiance to the kingdom. But there is also the actual capital of The Hague, which houses the seat of government.
Other leaders
The 26 countries with full democracy also include Great Britain, Spain, Ireland, the USA, Japan, South Korea, Uruguay, Germany, etc. But, perhaps, it is worth mentioning the last places in the rating, those countries that are subject to an authoritarian regime. North Korea ranks 167th with an index of 1.08. The Central African Republic, CHAD, Equatorial Guinea, Syria, Iran, Turkmenistan and the Congo are slightly higher in the ranking.
Russia ranks 117th with a rating of 3.92. Cameroon is in front of it, after - Angola. Belarus is even lower than Russia, at 139th place (3.16). Both countries fall into the category of "authoritarian regime". Ukraine is in 79th place in the transition regime category and with an index of 5.94.
No development
Over the past few years, the democracies of Europe have lost their position. This especially applies to the eastern territory. Together with Russia, the rest of the CIS countries fell in the ranking. Some lost their positions slightly, some - at 5-7 steps.
Since 2013, global democracy has stopped. This regime has no regression, but progress is not observed. This situation refers to the general picture of the world. In some examples, regression is still noticeable. Many states are losing their democratic processes. This is especially affected by the economic crisis.
Authoritarian regimes, by contrast, have become even more powerful. So, democracy, which has been growing in the world since 1974, now has a recessive nature. In addition to the beginning of a decline in confidence in political institutions, especially in Europe. Also, the process of democracy itself does not bring the desired result to the population.