Democracy originated from the Greek words "demos" meaning people and "kratein" meaning to rule. The key principles of democracy include rule of law, separation of powers, fundamental freedoms and rights, and free and fair elections. For a democracy to function properly, power is divided among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches; and citizens are guaranteed civil liberties like freedom of speech, religion, press, and political participation. The document also discusses concepts like pluralism, the role of opposition parties, and the importance of an independent media to hold governments accountable in a democracy.

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Introduction
The present work of English subject, provide clear information about the democracy, its origin,
concept, importance to the society. The democracy means guide or rule a people. The main
purposes for democracy is to People establish democratic government is the protection and
promotion of their rights, interests, and welfare.
In the same way, it is essential, in any democracy, to establish clear separation of powers, so that
the judiciary can be autonomous and independent. The result will be a triangular relation
between Democracy, Human Rights and Separation of Powers, which thus represent
interdependent elements.
Democracy principles, which are: Rule of law; Separation of powers; which concern a
fundamental principles and procedures that guarantee the freedom of each individual and which
allow participation in political life; Separation of powers which consists in:
•The legislative power draws up and adopts laws;
•The executive power enforces laws and government policies;
•The judiciary power represents the legal framework for exercising the power.
More details from the topic is after the introduction.
The research work is arranged by this sequence: introduction, development, conclusion and
bibliography.
To do this work, I used some books, and handouts related about the democracy.

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1.Concept of democracy
What is Democracy?
The word democracy is a term that comes from Greek and it is made up with two other Words
demos=People and kratein=to govern, to rule.“Democracy” can then be literally translated by the
following terms: Government of the People or Government of the Majority. Democracy, as a
State form, is to be distinguished from monarchy, aristocracy and dictatorship .You may have
already heard about the most common definition of democracy: ‘the government of the people,
by the people and for the people’ (Abraham Lincoln) This descriptions only a very broad one, to
start with ,but the pages that follow will explain to you in a more concise way the different facets
of democracy. (Becker And Jean 2008.p6).
2.Key elements of States organized under democratic principles
2.1Fundamental freedom and fundamental rights
Human rights are much more than a mere component of democracy. They represents in equal
Non requirements for the well performing of a democratic system. The development and
Evolution of human rights are only possible when humans live in a democracy, given the fact
That it is only within this system that the population it self can draw up the laws that will rule
And publicly control the three powers: the legislative power (power to propose and vote for
laws), the executive power (power to enforce laws) and the judiciary power (power to make and
to promulgate laws: in addition to, for example, the High Constitutional Court). Moreover,
human rights are only efficient when the State power is linked to an autonomy and independence
right, and when all the individuals are treated on equal terms in front of this justice. In the same
way, it is essential, in any democracy, to establish clear separation of powers, so that the
judiciary can be autonomous and independent. The result will be a triangular relation between
Democracy, Human Rights and Separation of Powers, which thus represent interdependent
elements.( BASSIOUNI, at All. 1998.p 21).

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2.2 Rule of law
In a Rule of Law, there are fundamental principles and procedures that guarantee the freedom
Of each individual and which allow participation in political life. There is, first of all, the right
To a free blossoming of individual personality. To submit up, the power of the State is linked to
The laws that rule it. Thus, the notion of Rule of Law is directly opposed to that of “Police
State“ or“ Despotic State“.
In a democratic State, all the citizens are equal in front of the law, even State employees and
administration. The latter can only take action when it has be invested with the accruing
Responsibility by law or by the Constitution.( Becker, And Jean.2008.p9).
2.3 Separation of powers
There are three State powers with in a State:
•The legislative power draws up and adopts laws;
•The executive power enforces laws and government policies;
•The judiciary power represents the legal framework for exercising the power.
You might already know that the term “separation of powers” actually means “division” of The
State power into three parts: the ones that have just been cited above. In a democratic State, the
power of the State can be controlled and influenced efficiently, first and foremost, by itself. The
State power must then be distributed among several organs.
In general, it is the Constitution of a country that settles how the State power is to be as a general
rule, there are two government systems that need to be distinguished : the “Parliamentary
regime” and the “presidential regime“. In some countries, they are sometimes Intermingled into
mixed forms. .( Becker, And Jean.2008.p10).
2.4 The Parliament
Even if relationship between the Parliament and the Government can be very different in
democracies, parliaments fundamentally always have the same functions. They are vested
with the office of proposing laws. They hold the right to put forward proposals of laws. In the
systems of parliamentary governments, this right is often assigned to the government, as it
represents the majority in the parliament, and the like lines of having a bill passé disgreater

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in this case. In a general rule, there lative majority is enough o pass bill. In the parliamentary
system, the National Assembly has also the Possibility to destitute the government. In this
system, control is rather between the Government and the opposition, and much less between the
legislative power and the judiciary power.
Parliaments are then mostly characterized by their function of articulation and expression of
Political will. This means that:
•Members of Parliament articulate or express population will, because it is the population that
they represent.
•Members of Parliament try to inform the population on their job, through public sessions,
reports of those sessions in the media, as well as specifically targeted demonstrations; they try at
the same time to support the population in expressing their political will.
A forth function, that of election office, concerns only the National Assemblies of Parliamentary
government systems .( Becker, And Jean.2008.p11).
2.5 Pluralism
Is based on controversial discussions whose results are often built on compromises which
Eventually satisfy all the involved groups, or at the very least, are acceptable as a whole. In
pluralism, either dialogues, points of view exchanges or discussions, as well a side as and
opinions that are debated there have a constructive feature within the frame work of social
processes of expression of ideas and political will of citizens, even if they are either contrary
to or opposed to the regime in place or even closer to the opposition.
2.6 The Government and the Opposition
The leadership of a community will fare better if taken on by only one person or as mall
group, as long as this community is expected to be able to act. You must already have noticed
this in your daily life, in a more reduced framework. When one class or working group has to
discuss something, the first thing to do is to elect a leader ;to put in place and maintain a
structure. Without this leader, the debate takes place in a disorderly manner and coming up
with results is difficult. If we transpose this image to the case of the State, we can see clearly
why it is necessary to have a government.
Thegovernment, which is always supported by the parliament or presidential majority party

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(with or without coalition with the other parties),can only function with an intact and efficient
State administration, which enforce the decisions. The administration helps not only in the
Drawing up of the new laws but also in their enforcement. It is then possible to say that the state
power is not taken on by the government alone, but it al so calls for the concrete adhesion of the
administration to manage a country in areas on able way. In democracies, the administration is
institutional, centre don its personnel and is ideologically non identical to the majority party. It
stays permanent, to serve the State, and not the party of the majority, no matter which party holds
the majority and supports the regime in power. (CINCOTTA.2007.p 1).
2.7 Public opinion and freedom of the media
In these judicial systems, the rule of law begins with the rule of the most fundamental law, the
constitution. Some legal systems employ further means to establish limited, “constitutional,”
government. A “bill of rights” in constitutions, which, combined with judicial review, ensure that
the legislation, legal decisions, and acts of government officials do not violate basic rights.
Liberalism—Freedom, equality, and dignity of the individual liberal democracy recognizes the
moral primacy of the individual and that all persons have certain fundamental rights.
A central purpose of democracy is to protect these rightsin the practical world of everyday life.
Examples of these fundamental rights are:
Freedom of religion/conscience— the right to practice any religion or none.
Political freedom—the equal right, for example, of all citizens to participate in choosing those
who govern and to remove them at will through elections. Freedom of the press, including
electronic media.
Freedom of individual expression— orally, in writing, and symbolically.
Right to privacy and to a private sphere of life free from governmental interference. Right to
freedom of association in public and private. (CINCOTTA.2007.p 4).

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3.Democratic governance
Governance is the exercise of a power or of an authority with the objective of managing the
Affairs of a State, an organization or a society. Democratic governance, or ‘good governance“,
Is based on the enforcement of the fundamental values of democracy in the power exercise.
Democracy then respects and takes into consideration, as much as possible, the interests of the
minorities in the frame work of the adoption of majority decisions.
The most important principles of good governance that can be drawn from the fundamental
Values of democracy are: participation, efficiency, efficacy, sense of responsibility and
Responsibility ,the act of reporting, adaptation capacity, transparency, rule of law and
participation.
Good governance is always composed of two aspects:
•A socio-political and human dimension that defines, among others, the role and functions, as
well as the political participation of the different actors, including the way of thinking,
•Behavior and leadership style of the leaders;
•A technical dimension that defines, among others, norms, administrative and financial
procedures, accounting, evaluation indicators etc.
The main actors of the system of good Governance is then composed of, apart from the (central)
State, the regional decentralized bodies, the political parties, the civil society and the private
sector as well as the citizens, of course.
In a good governance system:
•The roles are clearly defined, well distinguished and balanced among different actors and
Groups of actors, in the law texts as well as in practice.
•The interests of the different actor groups are articulated indecision making.
•Leaders are characterized in the exercise of their power by a democratic behavior and a
Democratic people and her ship, like the taking into consideration of the fundamental values
Of democracy, the respect of contrary opinions of others, the taking into consideration of Laws
and rules in force, tolerance, capacity and good frame of mind for dialogue, discussions, non-
violence. (CINCOTTA.2007.p 11).

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4. Characteristics of Democracy
Democracy is more than just a set of specific government institutions; it rests upon a well-
understood group of values, attitudes, and practices; all of which may take different forms and
expressions among cultures and societies around the world. Democracies rest upon fundamental
principles, not uniform practices.
•Democracy is government in which power and civic responsibility are exercised by all adult
citizens, directly, or through their freely elected representatives.
•Democracy rests upon the principles of majority rule and individual rights. Democracies guard
against
all-powerful central governments and decentralize government to regional and local levels,
understanding that all levels of government must be as accessible and responsive to the people as
possible.
•Democracies understand that one of their prime functions is to protect such basic human rights
as freedom of speech and religion; the right to equal protection under law; and the opportunity to
organize and participate fully in the political, economic, and cultural life of society.
•Democracies conduct regular free and fair elections open to citizens of voting age.
•Citizens in a democracy have not only rights, but also the responsibility to participate in the
political system that, in turn, protects their rights and freedoms.
•Democratic societies are committed to the values of tolerance, cooperation, and compromise.
(CINCOTTA.2007.p 19).
4.1 Two Forms of Democracy
Democracies fall into two basic categories, direct and representative. In a direct democracy,
citizens, without the intermediary of elected or appointed officials, can participate in making
public decisions. Such a system is clearly most practical with relatively small numbers of people
• In a community organization, tribal council, or the local unit of a labor union, for example
where members can meet in a single room to Fair, frequent, and well-managed elections are
essential in a democracy. Here, election officials staff a voting station in Paraguay. characterizes
all modern democracies, no matter how varied in history, culture, population, and economy.

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5. Rights and Responsibilities
Democracies rest upon the principle that government exists to serve the people. In other words,
the people are citizens of the democratic state, not its subjects. Because the state protects the
rights of its citizens, they, in turn, give the state their loyalty. Under an authoritarian system, by
contrast, the state demands loyalty and service from its people without any reciprocal obligation
to secure their consent for its actions. (CINCOTTA.2007.p 34).
5.1 Fundamental Rights
This relationship of citizen and state is fundamental to democracy. In the words of the U.S.
Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776: We hold these truths to be
self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
inalienable rights, that among these can explore the possibilities of peaceful self-full fillment and
the responsibilities of belonging to a community — free of the potentially heavy hand of the state
or the demand that they adhere to views held by those with influence or power, or by the
majority. (CINCOTTA.2007.p 19).
6. Three Pillars of Government
As has been noted, through free elections citizens of a democracy confer powers that are defined
by law upon their leaders.
The three pillars of government are:
6.1 An Independent Judiciary
Independent and professional judges are the foundation of a fair, impartial, and constitutionally
guaranteed system of courts of law. This independence does not imply judges can make
decisions based on personal preferences, but rather that they are free to make lawful decisions
even if those decisions contradict the government or powerful parties involved in a case.
The power of judges to review public laws and declare them in violation of the nation’s
constitution serves as a fundamental check on potential government abuse of power — even if
the government is elected by a popular majority. (CINCOTTA.2007.p 29).

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6.2 Executive Authority
In constitutional democracies, executive authority is generally limited in three ways: by
separation of powers, just noted, among the national government’s executive, legislative, and
judicial branches, with the legislature and judiciary able to check the power of the executive
branch; by the constitutional guarantees of fundamental rights, and by periodic elections.
For authoritarians and other critics, a common misapprehension is that democracies, lacking the
power to oppress, also lack the authority to govern. This view is fundamentally wrong:
Democracies require that their governments be limited, not that they be weak.
Executive authority in modern democracies is generally organized in one of two ways: as a
parliamentary or a presidential system.
In a parliamentary system, the majority party (or a coalition of parties willing to govern together)
in the legislature forms the executive branch of the government, headed by a prime minister. The
legislative and executive branches are not entirely distinct from one another in a parliamentary
system, since the prime minister and members of the cabinet are drawn from the parliament;
even so, the prime minister is the national leader. (CINCOTTA.2007.p 30).
6.3 The Legislative Realm
Elected legislatures — whether under a parliamentary or presidential system — are the principal
forum for deliberating, debating, and passing laws in a representative democracy. They
are not so-called rubber-stamp parliaments merely approving the decisions of an authoritarian
leader. Legislators may question government officials about their actions and decisions, approve
national budgets, and confirm executive appointees to courts and ministries. In some
democracies, legislative committees provide lawmakers a forum for these public examinations of
national issues. Legislators may support the government in power or they may serve as a loyal
political opposition that offers alternative policies and programs.
Legislators have a responsibility to articulate their views as effectively as possible. But they must
work within the democratic ethic of tolerance, respect, and compromise to reach agreements that
will benefit the general welfare of all the people not just their political supporter.
(CINCOTTA.2007.p 30).

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7. Democratic Elections
If the People are to rule, they must have practical means of determining who shall exercise
political power on their behalf.
Free elections means all adult citizens can vote in elections and stand for office.
Candidates for office are not in any way blocked from addressing the electorate.
Fair elections means elections that are fundamentally honest. Voters must not be stopped from
voting and all votes must be accurately counted.
Frequent elections means that elections must be held often enough to enable the People to
exercise their control of government.
As overseers of government, the People must have alternative sources of information.
Freedom of the press is therefore an essential aspect of democratic government.
(CINCOTTA.2007.p 34).
8. Constitutionalism
Constitutionalism— The use of constitutions to limit government by law The People do not
give power to government to oppress or abuse, but rather to protect
their fundamental rights, interests, and welfare. Therefore they limit government power
by authoritative fundamental laws called “constitutions”.
Constitutional government is government that as a practical matter is limited both in
What it does and how it acts.
Government is limited to acting within the law and cannot make up rules to suit its convenience.
The law applies to everyone, including those who govern. No one is above the law.
“Judicial review” refers to the power of the courts to declare laws passed by legislatures to be
null and void if they contradict the nation’s constitution. (Becker, And Jean.2008.p14).

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Conclusion
Democracy originated more than 2,400 years ago in ancient Greece. The word “democracy”
means “rule by the people”. The principal purposes for which the People establish democratic
government are the protection and promotion of their rights, interests, and welfare. Democracy
requires that each individual be free to participate in the political community’s self-government.
Thus political freedom lies at the heart of the concept of democracy.
The overall concept of modern democracy has three principal parts: “democracy,”
“constitutional-ism,” and “liberalism.” Each must exist in a political system for it to be a genuine
democracy.
The democracy requires rights and responsibilities.
A constitutional democracy, the legislature makes the laws, the executive authority carries them
out, and the judiciary operates quasi-independently. These divisions are sometimes described as
a “separation of powers”.
The Pillars of Government are three: An Independent Judiciary, Executive Authority, The
Legislative Realm.
An Independent Judiciary Independent and professional judges are the foundation of a fair,
impartial, and constitutionally guaranteed system of courts of law. Executive Authority is
generally limited in three ways: by separation of powers, just noted, among the national
government’s executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
The Legislative Realm Which are the principal forum for deliberating, debating, and passing laws
in a representative democracy.
In the end, people living in a democratic society must serve as the ultimate guardians of their
own freedom and must forge their own path toward the ideals set forth in the preamble to the
United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “Recognition of the inherent dignity
and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of
freedom, justice, and peace in the world.”

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Bibliography
BECKER, Paula And Jean A.A.Raveloson. (2008). What is democracy ? Antananarivo, pgs
6,9,10,11,14.
BASSIOUNI, Cherif at all. (1998). DemocracY: Its principles and Achievements. Inter-
parlamentary Union. P 21.
CINTOTTA, Howard. (2007). Democracy in Brief. US department of State. Pgs 1,4,11,19,29,
30,34.