This document discusses the expansion of democracy throughout the 20th century based on three maps showing democratic governments in 1900-1950, 1950, and 2000. It notes that democracy has spread over time, starting first in some regions like Europe and North America in 1900 and 1950, and becoming more global by 2000. However, some regions still lack democratic governments today. The document also provides historical context on the development of democracy in countries like France, Britain, and the United States from the 18th century onward, including struggles to expand voting rights.

2. Only leaders elected by
people should rule the
country, and
People have the freedom to
express views, freedom to
organise and freedom to
protest.
Democracy is a form of government that allows
people to choose their rulers. In a democracy:

3. DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENTS
IN 1900-1950
DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT IN 1900 AND 1950
DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT IN 1950 BUT NOT
IN 1900

4. DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT IN
2000
DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT IN 2000

5.  Democracy has expanded throughout the
twentieth century. Is it correct to say that at each
point in these maps, the number of democratic
countries is larger than at the previous point in
time?
 Democracy did not spread evenly in all parts of
the world. It was established first in some regions
and then spread to other regions. Which
continents in the world had a large number of
democracies in 1900 and 1950? And which
continents did not have almost any?
 While a majority of countries are democratic
today, there are still large parts of the world that
are not democratic. Which regions in the world
account for most of the countries that were not

6. PHASES IN THE EXPANSION OF
DEMOCRACY
These maps do not tell us much about what happened before
the twentieth century. The story of modern democracy began at
least two centuries ago. The popular uprising did not establish
a secure and stable democracy in France. Throughout the
nineteenth century, democracy in France was overthrown and
re- stored several times. Yet the French Revolution inspired
many struggles for democracy all over Europe. In Britain, the
progress towards democracy started much before the French
Revolution. But the progress was very slow. Through the
eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries, series of political
events reduced the power of monarchy and feudal lords. The
right to vote was granted to more and more people. Around the
same time as the French Revolution, the British colonies in
North America declared themselves independent in 1776. In
the next few years these colonies came together to form the
United States of America. They adopted a democratic
constitution in 1787. But here too the right to vote was limited to
very few men. In the nineteenth century struggles for
democracy often centred round political equality, freedom and
justice. One major demand was the right for every adult citizen
to vote. Many European countries that were becoming more
democratic did not initially allow all people to vote. In some
countries only people owning property had the right to vote.
Often women did not have the right to vote. In the United
States of America, the blacks all over the country could not
exercise the right to vote until 1965. Those struggling for

7.  UNO was founded in 1945 after the Second
World War by 51 countries, committed to
maintaining international peace and security,
developing friendly relations among nations and
promoting social progress, better living
standards and human rights.

8. STRUCTURE OF UNO

9. UNITED NATION ORGANISATION
UNO, as democratic organization UNO, as NON democratic organization
The President of the 63rd session of
the General Assembly, Migueld’Escot
Brockman from Nicaragua, went as far
as to state that the General Assembly
should become more proactive and its
resolutions should be binding. The idea
that the clear and unequivocal voice of
“We the peoples” should be regarded as a
mere recommendation with no binding
power should be buried forever in our
anti-democratic past. However, the
General Assembly’s alleged democratic
legitimacy is nothing but a myth. All we
need to do to see this clearly is to ignore
the anachronistic paradigm of equal
sovereignty for a moment.
States are neither equal, nor
sovereign. If we consider equal
representation of citizens instead, the
General Assembly’s strongly
undemocratic character is exposed as
representation is grossly distortet.
Consider this, for example:
The 128 least populous UN member
states make up two thirds of the voting
power in the UN General Assembly (see
the image above). However, these
countries only represent around 11.2
percent of the world’s gross domestic
product and, more importantly, only
around 8.4 percent of the world’s
population.

10. THANK YOU