Democracy: concept, origin and deficit by A.O. Eze

DEMOCRACY
    The word “democracy” comes from the Greek words (“demos” meaning people and “Kratos” meaning power) which literally means “rule of the people.” Roskin et al (1988: 66) aptly stated that “within the entire vocabulary of political science, there is probably no single word which has been given more meanings than democracy.” They further assert that democracy today is “a political system which supplies regular constitutional opportunities for changing the governing officials, and a social mechanism which permits the largest possible part of the population to influence major decisions by choosing among contenders for political office” (Roskin et al 1988: 67). Shively in his liberalistic perspective view democracy as “a state in which all fully qualified citizens vote at regular intervals to choose, from among alternative candidates, the people who will be in charge of setting the state’s policies” (Shively, 2005: 179).
     We can also define democracy as a system of government that gives all qualified adult citizens equal opportunity to participate in electing their representatives. It is a government of majoritarianism that is based on people’s consent. Modern democracy as we have it now is based on representative democracy.
     Moreover, according to erstwhile president of the United States of America Abraham Lincoln, whose definition of democracy has been relatively acclaimed worldwide defines democracy as “the government of the people, by the people and for the people.” The fundamental principles of democracy according to Appadorai, (1968:141) are; political equality and majority rule.
     The principles or tenets of democracy oppose the idea of other forms of government like monarchy, oligarchy, mobocracy, tyranny, authoritarianism, totalitarianism, fascisms, etc., where few people dominate and dictate the will of others in a state.
Origin of Democracy

Types of Democracy
There are two main types of democracy.
These are:
1.Direct Democracy: This is the type of democracy where all eligible citizens are allowed to participate in decision-making directly without electing their representatives. Direct democracy is anchored on the majority representation. It is the type of democracy that was practiced in the ancient Igbo traditional society and that of Greek city-state of Athens.
2.Indirect Democracy: Another name for indirect democracy is representative democracy or modern democracy. Under this type, all qualified citizens elect their representatives into the parliament or other government positions who will make decisions on their behalf. In other words, it means that citizens are indirectly involved in decision making through their representatives unlike direct democracy where they (citizens) participate in the decision making directly. Representative democracy unlike direct democracy, reduced people to mere voters or electoral choosers instead of decision makers. That is the reason Roskin et al (1988:67) contend that “in modern world, democracy is no longer the direct determination of all government policy by the people.” They aptly enunciated the following as the essential ingredients of representative democracy:
1.Popular Support of Government
2.Political Competition
3.Popular Representative
4.Majority Rule
5.Right of Dissent and civil Disobedience
6.Political Equality
7.Popular Consultation

                           Principles of Democracy
    Democracy is anchored on the following principles which must be strictly adhered to or obtainable before any nation or country can be labeled or called a democratic state.
These are:
1.The rule of law must be in place
2.Fundamental human rights  must be guaranteed
3.Majority rule
4.Independence of the judiciary shall be guaranteed
5.Supremacy of the law
6.Periodic election
7.Equality before the law
8.Free, fair and credible election

                Merits or Advantages of Democracy
    
Demerits or Disadvantages of Democracy
    
DEMOCRATIC DEFICIT