WHAT ARE UNDEMOCRATIC PRACTICES? (WITH EXAMPLES) - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The anti - democratic practices are all those actions in which the authority and sovereignty of the people is not respected, nor freedom standards established in the Constitution and in legislative bodies of a country.

Anti-democracy is represented by actions that reject democracy as the fairest way to lead the decisions of a country, through following the wishes of the majority of its citizens.

Anti-democratic positions and their actions are generally carried out by political or social groups that consider that democracy does not solve certain problems.

Then, these impose various adverse practices to what is already established and accepted by the majority.

Currently most countries suffer from some kind of undemocratic practice. These actions in many cases are not presented in an obvious way, but the population and the laws are manipulated with subtlety, managing to break with the established orders.

The most common examples of undemocratic practices are electoral fraud, bias or manipulation of the media, political corruption, excessive repression by police forces, and dirty warfare or slander between parties.

Top 5 examples of undemocratic practices

1- Election fraud

Voter fraud aims to adulterate the total or partial results of the voters, to distort the will of the democratic societies to make decisions.

In many of the electoral frauds there is the adulteration of records, the manipulation of computer systems and the impersonation of the voter, which occurs when the identity of a citizen is stolen or people who have already died appear to be voting.

It is also considered an electoral fraud when there is coercion; that is, when political parties or the government itself force their workers or militants to vote under threats of dismissal or expulsion.

2- Partiality or manipulation of the media

It occurs when the media or journalists are paid to alter the news bulletins, or when they are biased in favor of a political group, altering the truth to deceive their citizens.

3- Political corruption

Corruption as an undemocratic practice is understood as the dishonest and abusive use of power by government entities.

This is reflected in fraud, extortion, bribery, influence peddling, embezzlement, caciquismo or the intention to perpetually root in power.

Other aspects include the use of power to commit or cover up criminal acts such as drug trafficking.

4- Repression of the police media

Many times the right to free protest and to demonstrate against wrong policies by the government is coerced.

The excessive police repression of any protester, and even the appearance of political prisoners or prisoners of conscience, is practically absolutely undemocratic.

A government that finds itself in the need to apprehend, injure or even lead to enforced disappearances anyone who differs with its policies is an absolutely dictatorial government.

5- Dirty war between political parties

It occurs when political parties establish their campaigns based on lies, degradation and cheating, to distort the concept that the citizen or voter has about their opponent.

Dishonesty will always be taken as an example of undemocratic practice.

References

1. Montero, J. (1987). Anti-democratic radicalization. Retrieved: December 13, 2017 from: usal.es
2. Political Instability. (sf). Retrieved: December 13, 2017 from: encyclopedia.com
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4. Country Risk (sf). Retrieved: December 13, 2017 from: zonaeconómica.com
5. Alesina, A. (1996). Political instability and economic growth. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Retrieved: December 13, 2017 from: springer.com