What is democracy - and how can we improve it?

1. Democracy

2. Question # 1
What is democracy?

3. The word democracy is derived from the Greek word
demokratia, which is composed of the words demos
and kratos - people power.
https://www.solonian-institute.com/about

4. Democracy is the belief in freedom and equality
between people, or a system of government based on this
belief, in which power is either held by elected representatives
or directly by the people themselves.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/democracy

5. Democracy is a regime in which power cannot be
taken or held against the will of the majority.
https://en.unesco.org/courier/novembre-1992/what-democracy

6. In the 18th century, political philosophers John Locke, Charles
Montesquieu and Jean-Jacques Rousseau created several pro-
democracy principles:
 Freedom of the press.
 Religious liberty.
 Popular elections.
 Universal suffrage.
 Equality before the law.
 Separation of powers.
 Independent judiciary.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3397074094
Pages 143 and 182.

7. Question # 2
What laws can improve democracy?

8. The ideal democracy is one in which
as many citizens as possible vote.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/may/02/democracy-crisis-plan-trump-brexit-system-politicans-voters

9. Switzerland has the second longest standing democracy in the
world. The constitution of Switzerland was signed in 1848.
Possibilities to improve democracy in Switzerland:
 Voting rights for a larger part of the population.
 Increase in voter turnout.
https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/fifty-shades-of-democracy--can-you-measure-people-power-/45889898
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-the-worlds-oldest-democracies/

10. The ideal democracy is one in which voters are armed with
the most objective information.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/may/02/democracy-crisis-plan-trump-brexit-system-politicans-voters

11. 5th Century BC Athens was a direct democracy. Any citizen
could attend a meeting several times a month
and propose a law. What are your thoughts?
https://youtu.be/0fivQUlC7-8

12. What if information about donations to political
parties is published openly on the Internet.
https://www.economist.com/essay/2014/02/27/whats-gone-wrong-with-democracy

13. What if information about expenses, which members of
parliament have, is published openly on the Internet.
https://www.economist.com/essay/2014/02/27/whats-gone-wrong-with-democracy

14. What if members of parliament are paid relative to how fast
incomes of people, who have the 20% lowest wages, grow.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/may/02/democracy-crisis-plan-trump-brexit-system-politicans-voters

15. Organize dialogues between people in small groups.
https://ideas.ted.com/how-can-we-improve-democracy-one-intriguing-idea-set-up-a-jury-system/

16. Hand some decisions to ordinary people.
That will strengthen democracy, as it creates balance
between globalism and localism.
https://www.economist.com/essay/2014/02/27/whats-gone-wrong-with-democracy

17. The Finnish parliament must consider any
citizen initiative that gains 50,000 signatures.
https://www.economist.com/essay/2014/02/27/whats-gone-wrong-with-democracy

18. Question # 3
What technologies can help
improve democracy?

19. https://www.change.org/

20. https://campax.org/

21. https://yrpri.org/

22. https://citizens.is/portfolio/

23. https://citizenos.com/
https://manabalss.lv/

24. https://g0v.asia/
https://join.gov.tw/
https://info.vtaiwan.tw/

25. What other ideas do you have to improve democracy?