Perceptions

I feel that before we start discussing whether democracy creates stability in a society, it is important to explain our interpretation of this system of government and the key ideals underlying its concept, and to define how we perceive stability in a society.

Webster’s on-line Dictionary describes democracy as: “a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.”

But, I believe a more concise and insightful definition of democracy can be derived from the Greek word “δημοκρατία” (demokratia) which was coined from “δήμος” (dēmos), and “κράτος” (kratos), meaning “people” and “power” respectively. Simply put, democracy is people power—by the people, for the people, and through the people.

Democracy comprises two fundamental political beliefs—liberalism and equality. These two guiding principles emphasize individual rights, the freedom of thought and speech, and considers all individuals of equal value regardless of personal profile, and entitles them to equal opportunities for education, jobs, political influence, and deems everyone equal in the eye of the law. This forms the basis for the many varieties of democratic structure which differ in their extent of representing liberalism and equality.

Each political system has distinct features and practices, and democracy is characterized by its regular, free, and fair elections. Elections are held every few years, and most adult citizens have the right to stand for government office. Intimidation, corruption and threats to citizens during or before an election are against the principles of democracy. In most democracies, there is a multi-party representation in parliament, where more than one political party must participate in elections and play a role in government. This helps to provide the government with different viewpoints on issues and provides voters with a choice of candidates, parties, and policies to vote for. These opposition members of parliament help to keep the government on their toes and urge for accountability and transparency of the country’s affairs.

But the most defining aspect of democracy is “majority-rule”. Decisions which affect society (such as elections, policies, etc) are put to a vote, and the majority wins.

Societal stability is said to be multi-faceted. It is generally characterized into three broad spectrums—social stability, economic stability, and political stability. Peace and tolerance in society is essential to stability, with riots and strikes being rare occurrences. I believe that the stability of a society can be evaluated by how it responds to the extremes of human and natural behaviour. Therefore, there needs to be a strong societal backbone, with a total defense system which involves not only the civil service, but the entire population, to react and recover quickly in an event of distress or natural disaster. This would only be possible with a stable economy and government. And a stable economy is not a stagnant economy. It entails a dynamic and vibrant market, with a low unemployment rate and sufficient reserves. Political stability requires a strong, corrupt-free government which does not bow down to protests and is accountable for its actions.

Democracy is but a political theory, and theories do not bring about stability; it is the application of these theories that shape societies. I believe that the aim of our discussion is to show how the application of the different types of democracy, through good and bad governments in different countries and circumstances, have and have not brought stability to their societies.


-Daniel Chander