CITIZENSHIP PROJECT

Group members:
Anum Tariq Ayesha Jamshed Bina Ahtisham Ayesha Butt

Topic:
Democracy

Date:
4 may, 2010

Presented to:
Dr.Dean

DEMOCRACY:
Democracy is derived from the Greek words demos which means the people and kratos which means the rule.Democracy, therefore means the rule of the people.

Definitions:

Aristotle defines democracy as that form of government in which supreme Power is vested in the hands of the many instead of one or few persons.But he called it a policy if good and democracy if bad or corrupt. President Lincoln of U.S.A defined as the government of the people for the people and by the people. Dicey democracy is that form of government in which the governing body is comparitively large and fraction of the entire nation. Seeley government in which everybody has a state.

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WHAT REALLY DEMOCRACY MEAN?

   
Firstly, democracy in its simplest and basic form is about giving people the right to elect their government. Secondly, through this system the aim is to create stability and certainty in society by establishing a system under which a government can be created and changed peacefully. Third, public approval of a political party to form government gives it political legitimacy and social support to manage public affairs, and formulate and implement policies. At the centre of this system is the idea of fundamental rights, political equality and individual freedoms.

TYPES OF DEMOCRACY:
Direct democracy Indirect democracy or representative government

Direct democracy: It is directly ruled by people.They assmble in a public place where they decide public affairs determine government policyadopt new laaws for the country, decided the expenditure of the state and appoint public officials.this kind of democracy can exist only in a state with small territory. Indirect democracy or representative government: J.S.Mill defines democracy as the whole people or numerous portions of them, exercise the governing powers throng s deputies periodically elected by themselves. Modren democratic states are of the indirect or representativ type.

STRUCTURE OF DEMOCRACY
Structure consisit of four basic elements:

A political system for choosing and replacing the government through free and fair elections. The active participation of the people, as citizens, in politics and civic life. Protection of the human rights of all citizens. A rule of law, in which the laws and procedures apply equally to all citizens. The Limits and Requirements for Democracy.

Democracy as a Political System of Competition for Power

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The people decide who will represent them in parliament, and who will head the government at the national and local levels. They do so by choosing between competing parties in regular, free and fair elections. Laws and policies require majority support in parliament. The people are free to criticize their elected leaders and representatives, and to observe how they conduct the business of government. Elected representatives at the national and local levels should listen to the people and respond to their needs and suggestions. Elections have to occur at regular intervals, as prescribed by law. Those in power cannot extend their terms in office without asking for the consent of the people again in an election. For elections to be free and fair, they have to be administered by a neutral, fair, and professional body that treats all political parties and candidates equally. All parties and candidates must have the right to campaign freely, to present their proposals to the voters both directly and through the mass media.

Participation: The Role of the Citizen in a Democracy

Citizens have an obligation to become informed about public issues, to watch carefully how their political leaders and representatives use their powers, and to express their own opinions and interests. To vote wisely, each citizen should listen to the views of the different parties and candidates, and then make his or her own decision on whom to support. A vital form of participation comes through active membership in independent, nongovernmental organizations, what we call civil society. It is important that women participate fully both in politics and in civil society.

The Rule of Law

          
Democracy is a system of rule by laws, not by individuals. In a democracy, the rule of law protects the rights of citizens, maintains order, and limits the power of government. All citizens are equal under the law. No one may be discriminated against on the basis of their race, religion, ethnic group, or gender. No one may be arrested, imprisoned, or exiled arbitrarily. Anyone charged with a crime has the right to a fair, speedy, and public trial by an impartial court. No one may be taxed or prosecuted except by a law established in advance. The law is fairly, impartially, and consistently enforced, by courts that are independent of the other branches of government. Torture and cruel and inhumane treatment are absolutely forbidden. The rule of law places limits on the power of government. No government official may violate these limits. No ruler, minister, or political party can tell a judge how to decide a case. Office holders cannot use their power to enrich themselves. Independent courts and commissions punish corruption, no matter who is guilty.

The Limits and Requirements for Democracy

    
If democracy is to work, citizens must not only participate and exercise their rights. They must also observe certain principles and rules of democratic conduct. Every citizen must respect the rights of his or her fellow citizens, and their dignity as human beings. No one should denounce a political opponent as evil and illegitimate, just because they have different views. People should question the decisions of the government, but not reject the government s authority. When you express your opinions, you should also listen to the views of other people, even people you disagree with. Everyone has a right to be heard.

  

Democracy requires compromise. Groups with different interests and opinions must be willing to sit down with one another and negotiate. In a democracy, one group does not always win everything it wants. Different combinations of groups win on different issues. Over time, everyone wins something. If one group is always excluded and fails to be heard, it may turn against democracy in anger and frustration.

PAKISTAN POLITICAL SYSTEM:

DO WE HAVE DEMOCRACY IN PAKISTAN?
Rasul Riaz Bakhsh The development of democracy has been hampered by the troublesome legacies of the military regimes, including ethnic fragmentation, alienation of the smaller provinces and the concentration of the wealth and privilege among the class co-opted by the dictators Thus, looking at Pakistan, questions about democracy are more about what it could and must have done than its weakness as a system. Naturally popular expectations of elected government to deliver services maintain law and order, promote economic progress and social stability are much higher than other forms of government. It should be kept in mind that except for the government that came into power, no civilian government after 1985 were able to compete its tenure. We also cannot ignore the distributive efforts of economic growth and investment in social projects, which were emphaszed more during democratic periods than during dictatorships. During the first phases of democratic development, it is always the aristocratic classes that dominate the electoral process, but the urban landscapes may have a different set of representatives, for example from Karachi or some urban centres of Punjab. Greater representation of the middle and professional classes increase over election cycles, within political parties as well and the stability of elected government increases too. To meet popular expectations, and to out perform rituals and predecessors, elected leaders need to ally with the middle and professional classes. In many countries this has become political necessity rather than a choice. The quality of democracy depends on middle class. The Pakistan middle class may not be seen as yet in elected assemblies but it occupies alternative spaces of influence, in the civil movements, in the intellectual circles and in media. The freedom of media and emergence of civil society and restoration of deposed judges are signs of democratic change in Pakistan.

Pakistan may remain a transitional democracy untill we have had at least three peacefull transfers of power through electiopns. Our elected representatives have a heavy burden to disprove the sceptics inside and outside the country of forming coalitions as they have and by building national consences on different issues. Democracy is a natural system for an ethnically diverse and culturally pluralistic society like Pakistan. And this is why after every failed dictatorship we have returned to democracy. Yes, we have democracy but not comparable to other countries following social and economic development. We need to make our democracy better in the interest of common man. It is collective social enterprise that cannot leave to dominent elites.

Views of different authors about democracy

Each emphasizes one or more things thought to be true about democracy: It is a dangerous form of government It includes genuine competition for power. It permits mass participation on a legally equal footing. It provides civil and other liberties that restrict the sphere of state power within the society. It promotes widespread deliberation about how to make and enforce policy so as to promote the common good.

Author Aristotle Calhoun Mencken Shaw

Danger


Competition

Mass & Equal Participation

Liberty Rights

Deliberation