THE 5 STRENGTHS OF A MOST OUTSTANDING DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The main strengths of a democratic government are the separation of powers, free elections, equality before the law, freedom of expression and popular sovereignty.

Democracy, in contrast to other types of political organization of the States, refers to the “government of the people”.

Justice, represented as blind and balanced, must be equal for all in a democracy

This means that, either directly or indirectly, citizens are the ones who make the decisions that affect the political and social development of a territory.

The origins of democracy are in the first Greek civilizations. Already in the 18th century, the revolutions in the United States (1776) and in France (1789) laid the foundations for modern democracies.

Today most Western countries are based on more or less developed democratic systems.

The 5 main strengths of democratic governments

1- Separation of powers

It was the French philosopher Montesquieu who theorized on this principle. The powers in question are the executive, the legislative and the judicial.

The independence of each of these powers with respect to the others is the basic pillar of a democracy.

Thus, the executive governs and executes, the legislature discusses and approves laws and regulations, and the judicial oversees compliance with said laws and regulations.

For example, if there were interference between the powers, the judiciary could not enforce the laws and punish those who disobey them.

2- Free elections

Most democracies are indirect. In other words, citizens elect a certain number of representatives who act on their behalf.

To do this, there must be regular free and transparent elections. In these elections, said representatives are renewed, who are subject to public judgment.

Without free elections, power would fall on unelected individuals or would perpetuate ad eternum the power attributed by the people to one or more of them.

3- Equality before the law

Derived from the separation of powers, democracies must guarantee the equality of all individuals before the law.

Thus, a minister will have the same rights and duties as a carpenter or a judge. In the event that they disobey the law, all must answer to it, without distinction.

Without this principle there would be impunity for those who control the springs of the State and only the weakest and most unprotected would suffer the weight of justice.

4- Freedom of expression

It is present in any democratic constitution and is endorsed by the United Nations.

The philosophers of the French Revolution -Montesquieu, Rousseau and Voltaire- consider it the ideal medium to expose ideas and make society evolve.

In non-democratic countries this freedom is very limited or does not exist. Dissent is pursued by the police and the courts until it disappears.

There are limits to protect third parties from the improper use that can be made of this freedom, such as insult, defame, among other manifestations.

5- Popular sovereignty

It is a concept opposed to that of national sovereignty. As the nation is an abstract and diffuse concept, its condition of sovereign subject gives rise to inappropriate interpretations.

The people are the ones who receive the power to change the functioning of the State through elections or free and public expressions, such as protests and demonstrations.

References

1. "Principles of Democracy" on Law and Democracy, at lawanddemocracy.org.
2. "Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution". Simon Schama. (1990). First Vintage Books Edition.
3. "The Creation of the American Republic: 1776-1787". Gordon S. Wood. (1969). University of North Carolina Press.
4. "Aristotle and Xenophon on Democracy and Oligarchy." JMMoore. (1975). University of California Press.
5. "Modern Democracies". James Bryce. (1921). The McMillan Company.