Correlation Between Democracy and Economic Development

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Correlation between Democracy and Economic Development Thursday, November 21, 2013 The Democratic Government: Democracy and its Types Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. This state of society is characterized by the formal equality of rights and privileges. (Oxford Dictionary, 2012) The democratic optimal is based upon two basic principles: 1. Political Participation This requires all the people who are eligible (i.e. 18 and above) and can vote, to vote. These elections must be free, fair and competitive. It must also avoid any racial discrimination or biases, rigging and favouritism. This basic criterion must be followed on a local, state, national and international level. 2. Political Contestation This refers to a system where people are given the right to freedom of speech to express their discontent and aversion openly, since they are not in favour of the decision being made. They are allowed to discuss their views and opinions on the matter without intimidation of persecution or penalty of any sort from the government. Liberal Democracies are regimes that ensure both electoral freedom and civil rights to its members. The United States and Canada are perfect examples of such systems. There are many shades of democracy, each having their own advantages and disadvantages. The largest differentiation made between democracies is based upon the nature of the representative government. This can be divided into two categories i.e. Direct Democracy and Representative Democracy, both of which exist and can be related to even today. * Direct Democracy Direct democracy is an electoral system that gives complete authority in the hands of the population. All members of the polity are gathered

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