democracy lesson 2

• Democratic Practices


  Practices that the success of democracy depends on, involving the interactions among actors in a democracy
• Free Elections and Vote-based Systems


  • The people in a democracy possess the right to suffrage or the right to vote
  • The principle of "one person, one vote" is adopted in lawmaking bodies at national and local levels and in courts of justice
• Citizen Participation


  • Voting and running for office are two common examples associated with elections
  • Political participation refers to the various activities people engage in to influence political decisions
• Ways to Participate


  • Campaigning
  • Signing petitions
  • Attending consultations
  • Lobbying
  • Protesting
  • Joining political and civic groups
• Participatory approach


  Recognizes the voices of those who will be directly affected by a policy
• Tokenistic participation


  People were involved for the sole purpose of fulfilling the requirements of the law
• Majority Rule


  • Policies are implemented based on the agreement of a considerable number of people
• Respect for Minority Rights


  • The majority cannot exercise its power at the expense of violating the rights of those in the minority
  • Individuals belonging to the majority and the minority possess equal rights
• Affirmative action


  A coherent packet of measures, of a temporary character, aimed specifically at correcting the position of members of a target group in one or more aspects of their social life, to obtain effective equality
• Constitutionalism


  • A constitution is considered the highest law in a country
  • All other laws are expected to conform to its contents
• Secessionist groups


  Groups that aim to gain independence from the state
• Significance of Democratic Practices


  • Free elections and vote-based systems: instituted to ensure that power is distributed among various groups
  • Citizen participation: composed of various practices intended to amplify the demand or grievance of a group or hold public officials accountable
  • Majority rule: aimed to promote the general welfare of the people
  • Respect for minority: adopted to guarantee the equal protection of minority groups
  • Constitutionalism: intended to outline the rights and obligations of citizens and limit the powers of those in power