Allison Botkin M1L1 BLOG ASSIGNMENT

 Democracy is a type of government where the power is derived from the people based on their preferences  The people influence who holds office and which policies are carried out  Democracies exist all over the world  No two democracies are alike; they differ in organization, who holds power, and tradition DEMOCRACY

 Personal liberty: basis being self-determination saying that all people need to have the opportunity to realize their personal goals.  Individualism: every individual has the potential for common sense, rationality, and fairness.  Equality and Opportunity: the importance of the individual: “All men are created equal and from that equal creation they derive rights inherent and unalienable, among which are the preservation of liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”  Popular Sovereignty: idea that political authority is held with the people. DEMOCRATIC VALUES

 Free and Fair Elections: democratic government based upon these elections often enough to make them applicable to policy choices.  Majority and Plurality Rule: basic rule of democracy is majority rule. Majority candidate or party wins by having more than half of the votes. Plurality rule is when the candidate wins by having the most votes (this can happen without candidate having more than half the votes since the votes are divided among all the different candidates or parties)  Freedom of Expression: the voters have access to facts, competing ideas, and the views of the candidates during free and fair elections.  Right to Assemble and Protest: citizens are allowed and have the right to organize for political purposes DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL PROCESSES

 Educational Conditions: the voters need to be educated in order to help the vote be as accurate as possible  Economic Conditions: having a flourishing nation with an equal distribution of wealth can provide the best context for democracy.  Social Conditions: having proper social conditions are needed in order to make democracy real.  Ideological Conditions: adults have beliefs and ideas about power, government, and political practices based upon the educational, economic, and social conditions of their personal experience. MAINTAINING DEMOCRACY

 Traditional Theory: states the idea of majority rules, a willingness to compromise on issues, and recognizing rights and dignity of all people. Everyone is allowed to participate in the government by direct or representative vote.  Pluralist Theory: idea that people with common ideas and beliefs form groups to promote these ideas to the political agenda.  Elite Theory: a large amount of political power and influence is held by a small group of individuals, groups, and industries.  Hyperpluralism Theory: people with similar ideas and interests form groups to promote their causes. THEORIES OF DEMOCRACY

 Poorly educated and/or illiterate people are often left out in democracy  Nations with widespread poverty have a smaller chance of sustaining their democratic governments; people more concerned about food than voting  The democracy struggles in areas where conditions are not favorable  When societies are divided into different groups who disagree on issues, compromise within the government is difficult  Without a consensus a democracy will struggle DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGES