- Differences between formal political equality and substantive political equality
- Formal political equality
- Substantive political equality
- Principles on which the concept of political equality is based
- Bases for the constitution of political equality in modern societies
- References
Political equality is one of the fundamental premises for the development of the democratic regime, in which citizen participation and the institutions that guarantee the rights of citizens are linked.
Political equality ensures the freedom to participate, choose and demand compliance with laws and precepts for the coexistence of a harmonious society.
One can speak of political equality in two dimensions: formal - citizens have the same rights to participate in the political life of a nation - and substantive - citizens must have the same opportunities to exercise those rights.
Differences between formal political equality and substantive political equality
Formal political equality
Formal political equality guarantees that all citizens have access to the same political rights, that is, that each and every one of them can vote, stand as a candidate for a certain position, express their opinions without reservations or censure, and hold their representatives accountable. and to organize in political parties.
At the same time, the institutions recognize each citizen's access and exercise of those rights in equal parts to each.
Substantive political equality
Substantive political equality is contemplated when in the field of political practice, and therefore social and economic, all citizens have the same rights and the same opportunities to access these rights.
Principles on which the concept of political equality is based
The concept of free will is one of the fundamental pillars to ensure the political equality of citizens. Men also have essential rights that are related to the concept of property: the right to own material goods, the right to own life and the right to own freedom.
The demands for the political equality of all citizens are a direct consequence of the evolution of societies, since as political rights did not respond to the needs of citizens, the discussion moved to the social and economic spheres.
Political equality was no longer relegated to divine inspiration, as in the Middle Ages, but was born from the consensus of the rights and obligations of each individual, a concept that was born in the great thinkers of the Enlightenment.
The challenge for modern societies is to be able to reconcile the two dimensions of political equality - formal and substantive - to achieve an ideal democratic state.
Bases for the constitution of political equality in modern societies
The four fundamental premises to achieve political equality are:
-People are born as equals before the law.
-All human beings have a sense of what is right and just and are equally valuable.
-All human beings have the same opportunities to exercise their rights before the law.
-The talents and the economic position in which each citizen is born, are a circumstantial opportunity in the life of that person, who will always have rights to acquire improvements in their socioeconomic position.
References
- Valverde, facundo, "Political equality is really valuable", 2015. Retrieved on December 24, 2017 from.scielo.org
- Biglieri, P., (2004), “Civil society, citizenship and representation: the debate of the classics of modernity”. Mexican Journal of Political and Social Sciences. Mexico: year XLVII, no. 191, May-August 2004. Retrieved on December 24 from history.com
- Anderson, E. (1999), “What is the Point of Equality ?, Ethics, vol. 109, pp. 287-337. Retrieved on December 24, 2017 from history.com