Pros and Cons of Democracy PDF

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An essay expounding on the benefits and disadvantages of democracy...

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Surname 1 Student’s Name Professor’s Name Course Date Democracy Democracy as a term was drawn from an ancient geek term demos which implied the meaning, “rule of the people.” When fully defined, democracy is a term that describes a form of government where the eligible members of a state, play a crucial role in determining the decisions that are enacted within the political context. Analysis of democracy as a governing construct will reveal its advantages as well as disadvantages Advantages The primary benefit of democracy is the fact that it represents the fairest form of administration ever to be constructed. Within the structure, every individual is given an equal opportunity to present their individual opinion, an aspect that enables all the eligible members of a state, or institution to play an equal role in airing out their voice and influence over various policies, and procedures (Wildavsky 100). The benefit of this aspect is that every individual act on their own free will, hence they can be active or inactive depending on their personal decision. Secondly, democracy as a virtue nurtures the decentralization of the administration’s power, to the hands of the masses. It is vital to note that a government with centralized powers generally determined the manner in which the citizens live. However, in a decentralized form of governance, the power rests on the masses; hence they are responsible for determining the

Surname 2 manner in which they live. How so? Through the public’s influence, unproductive officials can be voted out in subsequent elections, while the productive representatives are retained (Wildavsky 104). Conclusively, the given aspect depicts the basic structure of democracy and power in the hands of the public. Thirdly democracy nurtures the emergence of patriotism, and loyalty for the strategy empowers the public to stand for what they believe in. By awarding the masses with an opportunity to represent their unique perspective, democracy emerges to be a key player in the promotion if loyalty as well as patriotism (Wildavsky 106). By creating a patriotic feel, most of the citizens under the given government are entirely responsible for the decisions they make. Disadvantages Democracy as an ideal favors the majority at the expense of the minority team. The given aspect emerges from the fact that democracy, when analyzed, is a game of numbers where the abundant team wins. Unfortunately, the oppression of the minority party may lead to marginalization and cumulatively conflict between the majority and minority supporters (Parks 285). The second disadvantage of democracy is the fact that it is a costly form of governance. How? In every democratic nation, there is the establishment of a voting event after a given number of years, a situation that empowers the public to vote out scrupulous leaders, but to vote in as well as retain performing leaders (Parks 285). Cumulatively, although the process promotes truth and fairness, it comes with a cost associated with the setting up of the election events both nationally, and locally. Finally, democracy as a virtue nurtures selfish thinking rather than productive thinking, primarily because of its values. Under the ideology, the voters are encouraged to represent their voice

Surname 3 when voting, an aspect that provokes people to vote selfishly (Parks 286). In most democratic voting settings, the eligible voters partake in the election process compelled by the need to protect their interest, rather than to safeguard the best interest of the nation. In conclusion, democracy is a two-edged sword. It possesses the power to uplift a nation, as well as break it down. As such, it is vital to realize that although democracy may transform a country, the ideology may also corrupt and suffocate a nation in extremity.

Surname 4 Work Cited Parks, Jessica. "How the Other Half Banks: Exclusion, Exploitation, and the Threat to Democracy." (2018): 285-286. Wildavsky, Aaron. "Democracy as a Coalition of Cultures." The Democratic Imagination. Routledge, 2017. 99-108....