Briefly about the important: explain the meaning of the word "democracy"

The beautiful Greek word for more than two thousand years of history was filled with the most diverse, often bizarre meanings. How do you explain the meaning of the word "democracy"? It is worth starting with its original meaning, which the ancient Greeks themselves invested in it.

Democracy is the power of the people

Democracy, which is usually opposed to dictatorship, autocracy and tyranny, is today considered to be the most progressive form of government, which seeks to reflect the interests of the majority, without diminishing, however, the interests of minorities.

However, this was not always the case, because in ancient Greece, the people were called not all people, but only full-fledged citizens, to whom the slaves did not belong. Women were at the same time strongly infringed in rights. Only adult men could vote, while the beautiful half of humanity managed to defend this right only in the tumultuous twentieth century. But for two and a half thousand years the concept has undergone significant positive changes, the fruits of which today can enjoy the citizens of the progressive countries of Europe, America and Asia.

Parliamentary democracy

Explain the meaning of the word "democracy". This is a question that can confound even seasoned jurists, as there are a lot of meanings and nuances in this concept. For example, in the XlX and XX centuries, not only an independent strong parliament, but also newspapers, magazines, and later television became an indispensable attribute of a democratic society. It is well known that the mass media, to which the Internet now undoubtedly belongs, is called the fourth power, which is not inferior in its value to public peace of judicial, executive and legislative. While in Europe, parliamentary democracy has spread widely, transitional forms have emerged in the US and Russia, characterized by a significant redistribution of power in favor of the head of state - the president.

How do you explain the meaning of the word "democracy" today? What form of government is characteristic of the modern world? It is worth saying that in the modern era, there were such political regimes in which democracy became possible not only in republics of different persuasions, but also in monarchic states. A vivid example can serve countries such as Great Britain, the Netherlands and the countries of Northern Europe, where, despite the formal primacy of the monarch as head of state, most of the real powers are concentrated in the hands of parliamentarians or members of the government. The opposite system spread in Africa. Despite the fact that many states of this continent are formal republics, the power in them is concentrated in the hands of corrupt rulers and members of their families.

Thus, when answering the question about political regimes in the modern world, first of all explain the meaning of the word "democracy" in the context of the republican form of government, which is inconceivable without direct competitive elections to a large number of top state posts. But even in the case of the appointment of officials, citizens closely monitor the performance of their official duties and strive to exclude corruption and conflicts of interest.

The neoliberal component

On the example of modern states with a highly developed capitalist economy, explain the meaning of the word democracy. для нее характерна? What form of government is characteristic for it? Most modern scientists, both economists and sociologists, agree that without direct intervention of citizens in the affairs of state administration can not be dispensed with. If the citizens avoid the adoption of important decisions for the country, then with a high degree of probability, we can expect the usurpation of power by officials, representatives of law enforcement agencies or large-scale capital.