Today, most states of the world are democratic. This concept is very firmly rooted in the minds of civilized people. But what are the signs of a democratic regime? How does it differ from other types of government, what are the varieties and features?
The origin and meaning of the term
Before describing the signs of a democratic regime, it should be said that the word "democracy" came to us from the Greek language. The word demos means “people,” and the word kratos means power. Literally translated, this phrase means "the power of the people" or "democracy". It was first used in the work of the famous Greek philosopher and thinker Aristotle under the name "Politics".
Long history of development
It is traditionally believed that the prototype of democracy is the ancient Greek city of Athens in the sixth-fifth centuries BC. The signs of a democratic regime were already evident at that time. In the early period of its existence, ancient Greek democracy was perceived as a kind of model of organization of the state’s life, a special form in which not only one person possesses power (tyrant, monarch) and not even a group of specific persons (oligarchs, aristocrats), but the whole population. It was also assumed that the "demos" (people) will have equal rights and make an equal contribution to the management of their state. These were the main signs of a democratic regime.
The history of development in modern times
The formation of states that have signs of a democratic regime as an integrated system occurred much later, in about the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries of our era. The process has developed in countries such as France, the United States of America, Holland, and Great Britain. The rapid growth of trade and commodity relations, the development of large cities and manufactories, geographical discoveries, the growing role of the importance of colonies, serious scientific and technical discoveries and inventions, the transition to manual production from manual production, the development of communications and transport, the accumulation of financial resources are the main social and economic sources that revealed to the civilized world the characteristic features of a democratic regime. The growing contradictions between the old aristocracy and the economically powerful "third estate" required radical changes in the political regime of society. Such philosophers and thinkers as Montesquieu, Locke, Russo, Payne, Jefferson, at that time described in their writings the main signs of a democratic regime. The peoples of the United States of America, France, England were able to bring them to life, defeating monarchism and laying the legal, economic and social foundations of democracy, creating the prerequisites for the restructuring of states.
Basic and characteristic principles
Signs of a democratic regime of a democratic state are the main distinguishing features, the main of which is the unconditional sovereignty of the people. Democracy as a concept includes the recognition of the people as the highest and only source of power in the state. Citizens, of course, have the right to decide their fate on their own. State power is obliged to rely on an expression of approval from its people and is legitimate only when its existence and formation is supported by people (voters) in accordance with all rights and norms. The most important signs of a democratic regime are free elections and the will of the people. People themselves choose representatives, they have real leverage and mechanisms to control their activities in the process of government. During the elections, in accordance with legal norms, the people have the full right to completely or partially change state power and make structural changes. All of the above are the main signs of a democratic regime. It should be noted that the people have every right to prematurely remove the selected government from power if they notice a clear abuse of their powers. This is what distinguishes the signs of a democratic and totalitarian regime (in which these functions of citizens are absent by definition).
The concept of personality in democracy
The perception of man as the epicenter of a political and social structure, the primacy of society over power are signs of a liberal democratic regime. It is a person’s personality that is the highest value in the state. What signs of a democratic regime does this give rise to? The people and society are considered as the sum of different individuals independent from each other, and not as a monolithic single will. This amount reflects the combined interests of individual individuals. Signs of a democratic regime are also recognition of the priority of the interests of individuals over state interests and recognition of the presence of each person’s sum of freedoms and rights, which are called natural and are inalienable. An example is the right to life and existence. A democratic regime, the concept, the signs and characteristics of which are all based on personal freedom, will also include such rights as the inviolability of the individual, independence, protection and preservation of private property.
The importance of rights and freedoms in society
Signs of the liberal-democratic regime are ensuring the right to dignity and respect for the individual, the right to live life in appropriate conditions for this, the unconditional opportunity to live in one’s own country and on one’s land, the right to create a family and raise one’s children. The source of all these inalienable and natural freedoms and rights is not the state, not society and not the family, but human nature itself. That is why all of the above can in no way be called into question. These rights cannot be seized from a person or limited (of course, we are not talking about those cases when a person commits crimes). Also, the signs of a democratic regime are the presence of many other rights and freedoms (political, economic, social, spiritual, civil and so on), most of which also automatically acquire the status of binding and inalienable.
Human right - what is it?
If the signs of a democratic regime are based on certain individual rights, then what does this mean? Human right is a set of rules that govern the relationship of free people between themselves, society and the state, providing opportunities to act of one’s own choice, to receive benefits for one’s life. Freedom provides opportunities for the choice of activities and behavior. It is the totality of rights and freedoms - these are the main signs of a democratic regime that form an integral system.
What are the rights of an individual
Every individual has many different rights. These are “negative” ones that protect human freedom and include the obligations of the state and society not to commit incorrect actions in relation to the person (torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary arrest and so on). There are also “positive” ones, meaning the obligation of the state and society to give certain benefits to the individual (leisure, education and work). Moreover, freedoms and rights are divided into personal, political, cultural, social, economic and so on.
The fundamental legal instrument of democracy
The signs of a democratic regime were first fully described in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted in 1948. Curiously, the Soviet Union did not sign it at one time, and only during Gorbachev was it recognized. This Declaration reflects all political and civil rights, gives a list of positive and negative freedoms. The meaning and content of political, economic and cultural rights are also revealed. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is part of international law. In addition, the United Nations has adopted many other conventions, pacts and declarations aimed at establishing a democratic society and supporting human rights and dignity.
Lots of opinions are a striking feature of democracy
Pluralism is an essential feature of all democratic regimes. This means recognition in the public and political life of many and different autonomous (but at the same time interconnected) social and political parties, groups, organizations, the attitudes and ideas of which are constantly in a state of competition, comparison and competition. Pluralism acts as the antipode of monopoly and is the basic principle of political democracy. There are some characteristic features of it:
- the competitiveness of many different political actors;
- the separation of power and the differentiated structure of the hierarchy of power;
- the exclusion of any monopoly on political competition and power for the sake of any party;
- The political system is multi-party;
- free access to a variety of channels for expressing opinions and interests for all;
- competitiveness and the possibility of a change of elites, their free struggle and competition;
- within the framework of the rule of law, there is the right to exist an alternative to social and political views.
In the post-Soviet space, after the collapse of the USSR, in view of the accelerated process of democratization, the process of establishing pluralism was very complicated, since the traditions of the “old” totalitarian system have still not been completely eliminated.
What is the pillar of democracy
Citizens themselves act as the main social and political stabilizers and regulators. In the economic sphere, this is private property of people, which creates the basis for the complete independence of an individual from the institution of power and various religious, social and political groups. A multi-party system, ideological and political pluralism, the realized division of state power into several independent branches with the formation of an equilibrium (balance) system, free elections - all this creates a strong basis for the existence of democracy in the modern world.