What is Democracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

What is Democracy - Essay Example By way of a constitution, or a set of regulations and guidelines formulated by the input of the citizens, a democracy can moderate what the government has a right to do when they govern. For example, that the government in power must allow the people the right to have an election every few years to choose whom they want to govern them. Actively including others in the decision-making processes, by way of debate, discourse and other communications, establishes the social contract. Within a democracy it is the citizen’s responsibility to choose a government, and to participate in constitutional discussions, for example, by way of a referendum or voting. Although democracy aims primarily to include people, rather than exclude them, some ‘extreme’ groups tend to be ignored as to their participation. For example, the homeless, minority groups, the very poor, the disabled and the very elderly. These excluded groups are often paid lip service by the majority, who while aware of their plight, discriminated status, and lack of input, tend not to be interested in making the issues of the socially excluded a priority, as it does not serve the immediate interests of the majority. By virtue of its inclusive principles, and the responsibilities placed on citizens to determine what comprises a constitution and government, a democracy can be considered a more favorable form of government. The form of democracy first developed by the Ancient Greeks is not so very different to the present day democracy as exists in North America. Both forms of democracy required that the citizens had a right to vote, and that the balance of power of a government as a body was determined by citizens.