What is a DEMOCRACY?

[Borincano]

What is a true democracy? Here are some definitions from Dictionary.com: (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=democracy)

de·moc·ra·cy ( P ) Pronunciation Key (d-mkr-s)
n. pl. de·moc·ra·cies

1. Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives.
2. A political or social unit that has such a government.
3. The common people, considered as the primary source of political power.
4. Majority rule.
5. The principles of social equality and respect for the individual within a community.

What country today do you consider as a true democracy according to these definitions and why? Do you have any other definitions for democracy?

[Ex Nihilo]

I don't think there are really any true democracies in existence today. Iceland maybe. But most of the western nations tend to be republics.


-- DC

(Edited by Ex Nihilo at 8:37 am on June 27, 2003)

[Palmares]

Quote: from Borincano on 12:26 pm on June 27, 2003
What is a true democracy? Here are some definitions from Dictionary.com: (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=democracy)

de·moc·ra·cy ( P ) Pronunciation Key (d-mkr-s)
n. pl. de·moc·ra·cies

1. Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives.
2. A political or social unit that has such a government.
3. The common people, considered as the primary source of political power.
4. Majority rule.
5. The principles of social equality and respect for the individual within a community.

What country today do you consider as a true democracy according to these definitions and why? Do you have any other definitions for democracy?


I think only number four is existent (though disppearing quickly), can't think of any countires off hand that are like that, alot of countries have close elections, maybe a central European country?. As a result, number two can loosely be applied aswell.

True Democracy is nowhere.

[Borincano]

I agree, there is no true democracy in existence today. The main problem is the establishment of definition #3 and #5. Plutocracies are in abundance in this world, but not democracies. Here's another question, do you believe a true democracy could ever exist and why or why not? Also, has any nation in the history of the world achieved the right to be called a true democracy?

[UnionofSovietSocialistRepublics]

most democracies today are actually semi-democratic, where you choose leaders, but you dont make decisions such as what should be legalised and what should be banned or who we should go to war with.