What is democracy? Why democracy?

• Democracy is a form of government in which people can choose their representatives.
• Derived from a greek word 'Demokratia'. In greek, Demos means people and Kratia means rule.
• Features of a democratic government- 1) Decision making power must be with those elected by the people. 2) Must be based on free and fair elections and universal adult franchise. 3) One person, one vote and one value. 4) Equal opportunity to participate in the government. 5) Government rules within limit set by constitutional law and citizens right.
• Arguments against Democracy- 1) Leads to instability due to frequent leader change. 2) Leads to delay due to constant consultancy. 3) Some times it leads to bad decisions. 4) It encourages corruption as it is based on electoral competition. 5) Ordinary people do not have the decision making ability.
• Arguments for Democracy- 1) It is more accountable to citizens. 2) Improves the quality of decision making. 3) It provides the method to deal with differences and conflicts. 4) It enhances the dignity of citizens. 5) It allows the citizens to correct their own mistakes.