Literally, "democracy" is translated as "the power of the people." However, people, or "demos", in ancient Greece called only free and wealthy citizens - men. There were about 90 thousand such people in Athens, at the same time about 45 thousand part-time (women and poor), as well as more than 350 (!) Thousand slaves lived in the same city. Initially, liberal democracy carries a sufficient number of contradictions.
Background
Our ancestors in prehistoric times solved all important issues together. However, this situation remained relatively short. Over time, some families have managed to accumulate wealth, while others have not. Property inequality has been known since the beginning of the centuries.
In a manner close to modern understanding, liberal democracy first arose in Athens, the capital of Ancient Greece. This event dates back to the 4th century BC.
Athens, like many settlements of that time, was a city-state. Only a man with a certain amount of property could be a free citizen. The community of these men resolved all issues important for the city at a public assembly, which was the supreme authority. All other citizens were obliged to implement these decisions, their opinion was not taken into account in any way.
Today, democracy is well developed in Canada and the Scandinavian countries. Thus, in Scandinavia, education and health care are free for the people, and the standard of living for all is approximately the same. In these countries, there is a system of counterweights to avoid cardinal differences.
Parliament is elected on the basis of equality: the larger the population in a given locality, the more representatives it has.
Definition of a concept
Liberal democracy today is a form of social order that theoretically limits the power of the majority in the interests of individual citizens or minorities. Those people who belong to the majority should be elected by the people, but absolute power is not available to them. Citizens of the country have the opportunity to create various associations expressing their requirements. A representative of the association may be elected to the government.
Democracy implies the consent of the majority of the people to what the elected representatives offer him. People’s deputies periodically go through the election process. They are personally responsible for their activities. Freedom of assembly and speech must be respected.
Such is the theory, but practice diverges greatly from it.
Mandatory conditions for the existence of democracy
Liberal democracy involves the following requirements:
- Power is divided into equal branches - legislative, judicial and executive, each of which performs its own functions.
- The power of the government is limited, all pressing issues of the country are resolved with the participation of the people. The form of interaction may be a referendum or other events.
- Authority allows voicing and negotiating disagreements, a compromise decision is made if necessary.
- Management information is available to all citizens.
- Society in the country is monolithic, there are no signs of a split.
- Society is economically successful, the quantity of social product is increasing.
The essence of liberal democracy
Liberal democracy is a balance between the elite of society and its other citizens. Ideally, a democratic society protects and supports each of its members. Democracy is the opposite of authoritarianism, when everyone can count on freedom, justice and equality.
In order for democracy to be real, the following principles must be observed:
- People's sovereignty. This means that the people at any time in case of disagreement with the government can change the form of government or constitution.
- The right to vote can only be equal and secret. Each person has one vote, and this voice is equal to the rest.
- Each person is free in his beliefs, protected from arbitrariness, hunger and poverty.
- A citizen has the right not only to his chosen work and its payment, but also the fair distribution of the social product.
Lacks of Liberal Democracy
They are obvious: the power of the majority is concentrated in the hands of several people. It is difficult - almost impossible - to exercise control over them, and they make decisions independently. Therefore, in practice, the gap between the expectations of the people and the actions of the government is enormous.
The liberal antagonist is direct democracy, in which each person can influence the general decision without an intermediate link.
The characteristic of liberal democracy is that elected representatives gradually distance themselves from the people, and over time they completely fall under the influence of groups that control financial flows in society.
Instruments of democracy
Other names for liberal democracy are constitutional or bourgeois. Such names are associated with the historical processes by which liberal democracy developed. This definition implies that the main normative document of society is the constitution, or the fundamental law.
The main instrument of democracy is elections, in which (ideally) every adult who has no problems with the law can take part.
Citizens can take part in a referendum, rally or apply to independent media to express their opinions.
In practice, access to the media is available only to those citizens who are able to pay for their services. Therefore, only financial groups or certain very wealthy citizens have a real chance to declare themselves. However, along with the party in power, there is always an opposition that can win elections in the event of government failure.
The theoretical essence of liberal democracy is magnificent, but its practical use is limited by financial or political possibilities. Ostentatious democracy is also often encountered, when the right words and vivid appeals hide quite specific interests that do not take into account the needs of the population.