Democracy is the political regime where sovereignty is exercised by the people. Citizens are the holders of power and entrust part of that power to the State so that it can organize society.
The word democracy comes from the Greek democracy which is composed of demos (which means "people") and Kratos (which means "power" or "form of government"). In this political system, citizens have the right to political participation.
Thus, democracy is a series of principles that guide the actions of governments so that they guarantee respect for freedoms and fulfill the general will of the population.
In democracy, all political decisions must conform to the wishes of the people. Currently, most countries have models of representative democracy. In them the citizens elect their representatives by voting.
Democracy admits several political systems such as the presidential, where the president is the greatest representative of the people, or the parliamentary system, in which the president is the head of state, but the prime minister who makes the main decisions policies.
It says that a system is democratic as long as the principles that protect human freedom are respected and based on majority rule, associated with individual and minority rights.
One of the main functions of democracy is the protection of fundamental human rights, such as the freedoms of expression, religion, legal protection, and opportunities to participate in the political, economic, and cultural life of the society.
Citizens have the express rights and duties to participate in the political system that will protect their rights and freedom.
Discover the 5 most important moments in the struggle for democracy.
Democracy in Brazil
In Brazil, democracy appears in the so-called "First Republic", but in a restricted way, they were considered citizens only educated men and the votes were influenced by the "coronels", the so-called "vote of halter".
Democracy in the country was developing and going through different periods of greater or lesser stability. It was only in 1932 that the female vote was instituted.
In 1937, with the Estado Novo, democratic rights were suspended and redemocratization only occurred in 1945
In 1964, the military dictatorship, followed by AI-5 in 1968, which suspended democracy and impeded the political participation of citizens.
During this period, democratic consciousness was a strong element of opposition to the dictatorship, which culminated in the "directs already" movement and the end of the dictatorial regime in 1985.
Since then, Brazil has been in a democratic period: it is stated in Article 1 of the Constitution that Brazil is a Democratic State of Law. But the rights related to a full democracy with freedoms for all are still the target of countless demands from different social movements.
Read about the Democratic state.
social democracy
Social democracy is the designation of political parties and currents with Marxist tendencies that emerged before World War I. This type of political ideology is based on Marxism and principles such as equality and social justice, solidarity and freedom.
Social democracy proposed a change in capitalist society, through gradual and never revolutionary methods, in accordance with the norms of the parliamentary and democratic system.
Read more about Social Democracy.
Athenian Democracy
Ancient Greece was the cradle of democracy, where mainly in Athens the government was exercised by all free men. At that time, individuals were elected or draws were held for different positions. In Athenian democracy, there were popular assemblies, where proposals were presented, and free citizens could vote.
See also the meaning of direct democracy.
racial democracy
Racial democracy is directly related to the issue of racism and discrimination, and suggests that Brazil was able to deal with and solve these problems in a way that other countries (such as the United States) cannot succeeded. Racial democracy addresses the relationships between different races and ethnicities in Brazil.
Direct and representative democracy
Democracy can be direct or pure democracy, when the people express their will through direct vote.
In representative or indirect democracy, the people express their will by electing representatives who take decisions on their behalf.
Differences between democracies and dictatorships
The main differences between democracy and dictatorship are:
election model: in a democracy, elections are direct, that is, the people themselves vote. In a dictatorship, elections are usually indirect, in which the governors are chosen through an electoral college.
Type of State: in a democracy, of course, the type of state is democratic, while in a dictatorship the state is authoritarian and totalitarian.
Division of powers: in a democracy there is a division of powers. The legislature, executive and judiciary function independently of each other. In the dictatorship, powers are concentrated in the hands of a single person or group.
rights protection: a democratic state protects and ensures rights, in addition to constantly legislating new ones. In a dictatorship, rights are often not respected.
popular demonstrations: Popular demonstrations are common in a democracy, with a view to freedom of expression. A dictatorial government often uses censorship to prevent popular demonstrations, news or any type of broadcast contrary to its ideals.
Meet the difference between democracy and dictatorship.