democracy

Democracy•(Greekdemos,“thepeople”;kratein,“torule”),politicalsysteminwhichthepeopleofacountryrulethroughanyformofgovernmenttheychoosetoestablish.Rulebythepeopleplayedanimportantpartinthedemocraciesofthepre-Christianera.Thedemocraciesofthecity-statesofclassicalGreeceandofRomewereunlikethatoftoday.Theyweredirectdemocracies,inwhichallcitizenscouldspeakandvoteinassemblies.Representativegovernmentwasunnecessarybecauseofthesmallsizeofthecity-states(almostnevermorethan10,000citizens).Ancientdemocracydidnotpresupposeequalityofallindividuals;themajorityofthepopulace,notablyslavesandwomen,hadnopoliticalrights.Athens,thegreatestofthecitydemocracies,limitedthefranchisetonative-borncitizens.ItisdifferentfromthekindofdemocracydevelopedlaterinEngland,inwhich,theoretically,thepeoplerulethroughtheirrepresentativesintheParliamentwhichcontrolsthegovernment.Thisisknownasrepresentativedemocracyorparliamentarydemocracy.Justasthereisabestsizeforeveryanimalsothesameistrueforeveryhumaninstitution.IntheGreektypeofdemocracyallthecitizenscouldlistentoaseriesoforatorsandvotedirectlyonquestionsoflegislation.Hencetheirphilosophersheldthatasmallcitywasthelargestpossibledemocraticstate.TheEnglishinventionofrepresentativegovernmentmadeademocraticnationpossible,andthepossibilitywasfirstrealizedintheUnitedStates,andlaterelsewhere.Withthedevelopmentofbroadcastingithasoncemorebecomepossibleforeverycitizentolistentothepoliticalviewsofrepresentativeorators,andthefuturemayperhapsseethereturnofthenationalstatetotheGreekformofdemocracy.Eventhereferendumhasbeenmadepossibleonlybytheinstitutionofdailynewspapers.TheEnlightenmentinEurope•AccordingtoMontesquieu’smostnotableargumentsoftheseparationofpowers,politicalauthorityshouldbedividedintothelegislative,executive,andjudicialpowers,whichmeansthemosteffectivewayofensuringliberty.Hearugedthatthesethreepowersmustbeassignedtodifferentindividualsorbodies,actingindependently.Otherwisetheywouldgiverisetomisuseofpowerandcorruptionandindividualfreedomwouldbethreatened.