What are the Features of Democracy?

Abraham Lincoln once said, ‘Democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people.’ Throughout the history of human civilization, we have lived through innumerable rulers, various governments and hundreds of wars. The only thing that remained common throughout the history of politics is that the voice of the common public was never louder than when they held the right to vote. Let’s learn about democracy and its main features of democracy.

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What is Democracy?

The word ‘Democracy’ is derived from Greek origins and essentially means “rule by the people”. Democracy in the modern world is a form of government where people have the ultimate authority over how the Nation operates. In simple words, it means that citizens have the right to choose their leaders through elections. Everyone has equal rights and freedom to express their opinions, follow any religion, and participate in decision-making. In a democratic country, laws are made by elected representatives. It promotes fairness, justice, and equality for all.

Types of Democracy

There are different types of democracy depending on the role that it serves. They are given below

1. Direct Democracy
2. Representative Democracy
3. Constitutional Democracy
4. Parliamentary Democracy
5. Presidential Democracy
6. Monitary Democracy
7. Autocratic Democracy

Also Read: Types of Economy

11 Features of Democracy in India

Apart from the above-mentioned types of Democracy, different countries have developed their own unique forms of government, incorporating additional features to suit their socio-cultural requirements. These may include Two-party systems, multiple-party systems or indirect methods of representative election. Here are the features of Democracy in points:

1. Free, Fair and Frequent Elections
2. Representation of Minorities
3. Rule within the Constitutional Law
4. Freedom of Speech, Expression and Choice
5. Federal Rights
6. Council Responsibility
7. Right to Education
8. Right to Form Association and Union
9. Same Law for All
10. Independent Judiciary
11. Balance of Power

So, let’s understand the main features of Democracy in detail:

Free, Fair, and Frequent Elections

Amongst the primary features of Democracy, every Democratic country in the world must hold elections, in one way or another, and that too periodically. These elections are the voice of the public, the primary way by which they can control and change the Government as per their wishes. These elections must also have complete Transparency and Impartiality in terms of imparting voting rights to every adult citizen of the country. Every vote must be valued, and every vote must have one value, i.e. it must carry the same weight in electing representatives. Fulfilling this criterion is paramount for every Democracy, as even today some countries don’t give voting rights to women or people with alternative sexuality. This disqualifies them from being a democracy on the fundamental level and makes the spirit of elections meaningless.

Representation of Minorities

Every nation in the world has minorities, on one basis or the other. It is one of the prominent Features of Democracy to give equal citizenship rights to every one of its countrymen. Exclusion or oppression of minorities should be abhorred, and the legal authority of the country should aid them in holding an equal status of life and livelihood in every possible way. Some Democracies around the world also reserve representative positions for minority groups in proportion to their population size while keeping the rest of the positions free for contention.

Rule within the Constitutional Law

In a Democratic Country, the ruling Government is not paramount. Instead, it is the legislative body that holds the supreme power, as prescribed by the constitution of the Country. As a new government is elected after a fixed period, it only has the power to make decisions and implement them, while making amendments to some of the established laws. All such activities can only be done under the supervision of the country’s legislation, which is independent of the ruling government and the posts are held by the people of the country based on their merit and skills.

Freedom of Speech, Expression, and Choice

A Democracy that suppresses or withholds the public voice is not valid, violating one of the basic features of Democracy. The voice of the public, even if it is critical of the ruling party, should be allowed to flow freely, letting people formulate their own ideas and expressions, without being in fear of persecution. On the same lines, a citizen of a Democratic country should be able to make independent decisions based on their own discretion, as long as they do not pose a threat to the Laws of the land or any other person. Protesting against what a person feels is wrong should be a legal right, as it is basically the only thing that keeps the ruling parties in check with their actions and policies. Once you eliminate that, you take away all the strength of a group of people, thus nullifying the concept of democracy itself.

Federal Rights

One of the essential features of Democracy is the right of the state government to perform independently and implement rules and regulations for the benefit of the public. Article 1 of the Indian Constitution allows states to make a few decisions without interference from the central government. In case a law is passed by the central government, then every state has to follow it.

Council Responsibility

It is the duty and responsibility of the elected government to work in the favour and benefit of the general public. The whole council of the elected party is responsible for all the acts performed under their session, not just a single leader. Democracy allows the decision to be made by the whole council and not any single individual.

Right to Education

Democracy gives the right to all citizens to get an education. There is no favouritism based on caste, colour, creed, or race in education, and every individual in India has a right to get an education. This act allows children aged 6 to 14 to get a basic elementary education.

Right to Form Association and Union

India is a democratic nation that allows all individuals to form their own associations or unions. Article 19(1) of the Indian constitution provides the right to all Indian citizens “to form associations, or unions or Co-Operative Societies” It is one of the basic rights of every individual and needs to communicate with other members of the community or society.

Same Law for All

Democracy gives equality in society, which means equal rights and laws for all. No celebrity, politician, or government body will be treated with special treatment. The law imposed on the common people of the nation will be applied to celebrities or famous individuals as well. Under every circumstance, the law is the same for all people in India.

No Control over the Judiciary

The Judiciary system or courts in India are an autonomous body and not under the control of any government organisation or party. The opinions, laws, or acts passed by the judiciary body of India are not influenced by any legislative authority and are made independently.

Balance of Power

In a democratic society, power is distributed among different branches of government and between the government and the citizens. This prevents the concentration of power in the hands of a single organisation or individual. This distribution of power is designed to safeguard against abuses of authority and to ensure that no single entity becomes too dominant.

Also Read: Democracy vs Dictatorship

Advantages and Disadvantages of a Democratic Government

There are so many advantages and disadvantages of democracy. Some of them are mentioned below in the table:

Advantages of Democracy	Disadvantages of Democracy
Since the people of the country elect a government in a democracy, thus it is ultimately answerable to the people for their actions.	Since there are many layers of authority in a democracy, the decision-making process is a little slower compared to other types of government.
A democratic government will give more freedom to its people to question the government itself.	There is a possibility of corruption in a democratic government since people can use political influence and power to win elections.
Since the people of the country elect a government in a democracy, it is ultimately answerable to the people for their actions.	Development projects in a big country like India could be unstable due to a change of political parties every five years.

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These are some of the fundamental features of Democracy. Every Nation struggles with its problems and ailments, but that should never translate into posing a threat to the democratic foundations of that country. Interesting in exploring political systems and studying how governments work? Let our Leverage Edu experts assist you in selecting a suitable course and university combination that can help you delve deeper into the study of Political Science and soar towards a rewarding career in this field! Sign up for an e-meeting with us today!