DEMOCRACY

🗳️ DEMOCRACY – QUICK NOTES 🗳️

📘 Meaning

Derived from Greek: Demos (People) + Kratia (Rule) = Rule by the People.

Core idea: Popular sovereignty, political equality, and collective decision-making.

📚 Definitions

Thinker	Definition
Abraham Lincoln	“Government of the people, by the people, for the people.”
Lord Bryce	"Rule by the will of the majority expressed through votes."
A.V. Dicey	"People’s will translated into law by their representatives."
MacIver	"Method of choosing and dismissing the government."

🧩 Types of Democracy

Direct Democracy

People make laws directly (e.g., Ancient Athens, Referendums, Gram Sabhas).

Indirect/Representative Democracy

Elected representatives make laws (e.g., Indian Parliament, US Congress).

Deliberative Democracy

Emphasis on rational, informed public debate before decisions (e.g., Habermas).

Participatory Democracy

Deep citizen involvement beyond just voting (e.g., Pateman, Macpherson).

Liberal Democracy

Free elections + Rule of law + Civil liberties (e.g., USA, India).

Socialist Democracy

Equality, economic justice with democratic institutions (e.g., Cuba’s model).

🧠 David Held's Models of Democracy

Model	Origin/Thinker(s)	Key Idea
Classical Democracy	Ancient Greece	Direct participation, small polis.
Protective Democracy	Locke, Bentham	Democracy as a safeguard for individual rights.
Developmental Democracy	J.S. Mill	Democracy as a means of moral and civic development.
Participatory Democracy	Rousseau, Pateman, Macpherson	Active, direct participation in all spheres.
People’s Democracy (Marxist)	Karl Marx	Classless society; democracy led by the working class.
Cosmopolitan Democracy	David Held	Global institutions ensuring democracy beyond borders.

🧓 Key Thinkers & Contributions

• Locke – Natural rights + limited government.
• Bentham – Utilitarian basis of democratic protection.
• J.S. Mill – Liberty + education as democratic pillars.
• Rousseau – General will and direct participation.
• Macpherson – Developmental + participatory democracy.
• Carole Pateman – Feminist + participatory angles.
• Habermas – Public sphere & deliberation.
• Robert Dahl – Polyarchy; pluralism as real-world democracy.
• Amartya Sen – Development is freedom; democracy prevents famine.

📖 Important Books

Book Title	Author
Democracy and Its Critics	Robert Dahl
Participation and Democratic Theory	Carole Pateman
The Life and Times of Liberal Democracy	Macpherson
End of History and the Last Man	Fukuyama
The Third Wave: Democratization in the Late 20th Century	Huntington

🧱 Core Features of Democracy

• Free & fair elections
• Rule of law
• Civil liberties
• Separation of powers
• Popular sovereignty
• Political equality
• Accountability & transparency

💡 Challenges to Democracy

• Electoral malpractices
• Illiteracy & ignorance
• Corruption
• Populism & majoritarianism
• Global capitalism’s influence