What is known as Democracy?

A simple definition of democracy that you will remember lifelong is “Democracy is of the people, by the people and for the people”. Here in India, people are not sure whether this definition applies or not, or if it applies, then too to what extent. India is one of the largest democracies in the world. The people here elect their representatives who will govern them on their behalf. You might have got some idea about what a democracy is.

Let’s learn it in brief below.

A democracy means rule by the people. The name is used for different forms of government, where the people can take part in the decisions that affect the way their community is run. In modern times, there are different ways this can be done:

• The people meet to decide about new laws, and changes to existing ones. This is usually called direct democracy.

• The people elect their leaders. These leaders take this decision about laws. This is commonly called representative democracy. The process of choosing is called election. Elections are either held periodically, or when an officeholder dies.

• Sometimes people can propose new laws or changes to existing laws. Usually, this is done using a referendum, which needs a certain number of supporters.

Kinds of Democracy

There are two kinds of democracy, direct and indirect democracy:-

• In direct democracies, everyone has the right to make laws together. One modern example of direct democracy is a referendum, which is the name for the kind of way to pass a law where everyone in the community votes on it. Direct democracies are not usually used to run countries, because it is hard to get millions of people to get together all the time to make laws and other decisions. There is not enough time.

• In an indirect or representative democracy, people choose representatives to make laws for them. These people can be mayors, councilmen, members of Parliament, or other government officials. This is a much more common kind of democracy. Large communities like cities and countries use this method, but it may not be needed for a small group. When democracy is mixed with sharia law, it has been called an Islamocracy.

Elections

Elections are one of the most important element of a democracy. It is the process through which the citizens elect their representatives. Different countries have different methods to conduct elections. In India, the Election Commission of India has the entire responsibility of conducting elections. It conducts elections all over the country and have a specific rules and guidelines for the election period. 

Not everyone can vote in an election. Suffrage is only given to people who are citizens. Some groups may be excluded, for example prisoners. For some elections, a country may make voting compulsory. Someone who does not vote, and who does not give a good reason usually has to pay a fine. But this is not applicable in India.