What is Democracy?

3. DEMOCRACY AND ITS HISTORY
 The idea came from the ancient Greeks who combined the
words demos (people) and krates (rule) to create the term.
 a system in which people decide matters as a group.
 Around 2500 years ago (5TH B.C.) in Ancient Greece.
 The citizen democrats of Athens are those males, over the age of
eighteen, who are sons of an Athenian father.

4.  Democracy is achieved in several stages, through reforms linked with Solon in
594, with the Ten tribes of Cleisthenes in 508, and with Pericles in 462.
 In the 7th century the Greek city-states develop the new military concept of the
heavily armed infantryman, the hoplite.
 The military effort is diverted into building up an Athenian Navy.
 Pericles in 462
 Mechanics of Athenian Democracy (5th century B.C.)
DEMOCRACY AND ITS HISTORY

5. DEMOCRACY AND ITS HISTORY

6. Council of 500

7.  Democracy in the Middle Ages
 The Magna Carta
 The
 Revolution
 Modern democracies
 Development of representative democracies
DEMOCRACY AND ITS HISTORY

10. The Common Features of Democracy
 Separation of Powers:
 Legislative Power: parliament
normally in two chambers
 Executive Power: government and administration
 Judicative Power: courts of justice
 Constitution
 Laws debated and passed by the parliament
 Decrees by the government
based on laws and regulating the details how to the laws shall be applied in practice
 Elections
 Political Parties
 Referendums
Though there are massive differences on how frequent referendums are and on which level they apply (constitution
or single laws), the concept as such is known in any practical form of democracy.

11. Three Basic Types of Democracy
 Direct Democracy
 Presidential Democracy
 Parliamentary Democracy

12. Two Types of Democracy
1. Direct Democracy
 all power in the hands of the individual. When political decisions must be
made, all members of a polity gather together and individuals cast a vote.
2. Representative Democracy
 one person or a group of people are elected and assigned with the task of
making decisions on behalf of the group of citizens that they represent.

13. Advantages of Democracy
1. It protects the interest of citizens.
2. It prevents monopoly of authority.
3. It promotes equality.
4. It makes for a responsible and stable administration.
5. It brings a feeling of obligation towards the citizens.
6. It imparts political education to the people.
7. It helps make good citizens.
8. It allows a little chance of revolution.
9. It promotes change.

14. Disadvantages of Democracy
1. It might allow misuse of public funds and time.
2. It instigates corruption.
3. It risks the wrong choice of public servants.
4. It allows not exercising the right to vote.
5. It may put more emphasis on quantity, rather than quality.
6. It can take long to make decisions.
7. It may involve immoral practices during elections.

15. Countries
Asia
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Isreal, Japan, Mauritius, Mongolia, Nepal,
Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Taiwan.
Europe
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Georgia, Germa
ny, Great
Britain, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemborg, Netherlands, Ne
w Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
and United Kingdom

16. African
Benin, Botswana, Cape Verde, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra
Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia and Zambia
North American
Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama and United States of
America
Countries

17. South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay
Others
Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea
Countries

18. References
 http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?groupid=2648&HistoryID=a
c42&gtrack=pthc
 http://www.skwirk.com/p-c_s-18_u-492_t-1338_c-5143/a-brief-history-of-democracy-
and-its-benefits/nsw/a-brief-history-of-democracy-and-its-benefits/potentials-of-
democracy/introduction-to-democracy
 http://greengarageblog.org/16-significant-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-
democracy
 http://greengarageblog.org/12-vital-pros-and-cons-of-democracy
 http://www.governmentvs.com/en/democratic-countries/model-1-4
 http://www.mrmedico.info/greecepowerpoint.htm
 http://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/POLSC221-4.1.5-TypesDem-
FINAL.pdf

20. Prepared by:
Marisol Tavera Betonio