Gourt > Society > Politics > Democracy (3)
Democracy is, literally, rule by the people (from the Greek demos, "people," and kratos, "rule"). The methods by which this rule is exercised, and indeed the composition of "the people" are central to various definitions of democracy, but the general principle is that of majority rule. Useful contrasts can be made with oligarchies and autocracies, where political authority is highly concentrated and not subject to meaningful control by the people. While the term democracy is often used in the context of a political state, the principles are also applicable to other areas of governance.
Kinds of democracy
- Main article: Democracy (varieties)
Direct democracy, classically termed pure democracyA. Democracy in World Book Encyclopedia, World Book Inc., 2006. B. Pure democracy entry in Merriam-Webster Dictionary. C. Pure democracy entry in American Heritage Dictionary", is a political system where the people vote on government decisions, such as questions of whether to approve or reject various laws. It is called direct because the power of making decisions is exercised by the people directly, without intermediaries or representatives. Historically, this form of government has been rare, due to the difficulties of getting all the people of a certain territory in one place for the purpose of voting. All direct democracies to date have been relatively small communities; usually city-states. The most notable was the ancient Athenian democracy.
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Political Philosophy :: Political Science
Alternative Political Systems :: Politics
Net Neutrality is the cornerstone of innovation, free speech and democracy on net! https://secure.freepress.net/site/Advocacy?id=356
rouldph2 (Charles Stillwell) Sat, 19 Dec 2009 07:48:17 -0000
Net Neutrality is the cornerstone of innovation, free speech and democracy on net! https://secure.freepress.net/site/Advocacy?id=356
⪠⫠Voted Arundhati Roy (Listening to Grasshoppers: Field Notes on Democracy) for Best Indian Author. http://uurl.in/2YPGx @He.. â« âª
twistening (twistening) Sat, 19 Dec 2009 07:47:15 -0000
♪ ♫ Voted Arundhati Roy (Listening to Grasshoppers: Field Notes on Democracy) for Best Indian Author. http://uurl.in/2YPGx @He.. ♫ ♪
Democracy: Accused by NAB. and now NAB working under him. and cases are still pending.
Ammar_haider (Ammar Haider) Sat, 19 Dec 2009 07:39:46 -0000
Democracy: Accused by NAB. and now NAB working under him. and cases are still pending.
@BDUTT Good for Democracy but bad for the world. We are still seeing no headway to problem of global warming.
bhatiakunal (Kunal Bhatia) Sat, 19 Dec 2009 07:38:49 -0000
@BDUTT Good for Democracy but bad for the world. We are still seeing no headway to problem of global warming.
@tinucherian Too many votes :) Democracy ! I love it ! :)
v_shakthi (Shakthi) Sat, 19 Dec 2009 07:37:11 -0000
@tinucherian Too many votes :) Democracy ! I love it ! :)
Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time. ~ E. B. White
johnsykes1035 (John Sykes) Sat, 19 Dec 2009 07:37:03 -0000
Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time. ~ E. B. White
Comparative Democratization Project - A Stanford University project studying emerging democracies. Features a large directory of Internet resources, a collection of syllabi from leading democracy scholars, and seminar papers.
Meta Description: [ Stanford University
democracy website: the Democratization Seminar
papers, a collection of syllabi from leading democracy scholars,
and a directory of Internet resources organized by topic
and by region. ]
International Simultaneous Policy Organisation (ISPO) - A plan to transform the ruthless competition of globalization into global cooperation.
Meta Description: [ The Simultaneous Policy is a global political platform and voting bloc to globalize peace, justice, sustainability and prosperity., La Politique Simultanée est une plateforme politique mondiale visant à établir la paix, la justice, le développement durable, le commerce équitable et la prosp... ]
A More Perfect Union - Challenges to American Democracy are discussed within this website, along with sociological views of government. ThinkQuest semifinalist.
About Democracy - Details how the essence of Democracy the way Greeks from antiquity meant it and lived it is the exact opposite of our so-called democracies of today.
Meta Description: [ Democracy - The very last thing which politicians, their political appointees, those who finance their political campaigns, and some civil servants want to see in Canada. ]
Ballot Initiative Strategy Center - An organization dedicated to helping progressives participate in launching ballot intiatives and democratic action.
Meta Description: [ The Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC) helps utilize the ballot initiative process to further the goals of the labor and progressive community. BISC helps to build funding, research, and training infrastructures to support progressive ballot measure activity around the country. ]
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor - One of the four bureaus that comprise the Office of the Under Secretary for Global Affairs. Responsibilities include promoting democracy worldwide, formulating U.S. human rights policies, and coordinating policy in human rights-related labor issues.
Meta Description: [ Homepage of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, U. S. Department of State. ]
Caucasian Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development (CIPDD) - Main Objectives are to promote democratic and free-market values, to publicize the major achievements of Western democratic thought, and to encourage a non-partisan theoretical analysis of the problems of the post-communist transition process in Georgia and the Caucasus region.
Meta Description: [ CIPDD redirect ]
Celestial Democracy - Scientologist site on democracy and political philosophy.
Meta Description: [ The Making of America Library ]
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Center for Constitutional Studies and Democratic Development (CCSDD) - Johns Hopkins University institute providing research and training for individuals and groups from countries undergoing the process of democratic transition in Central and South Eastern Europe, as well as North Africa. Site provides publications, conference information, and activist resources.
Center for International Policy - Founded in 1975 to promote a U.S. foreign policy that reflects democratic values.
Meta Description: [ Promoting a U.S. foreign policy based on international cooperation, demilitarization and respect for basic human rights ]
Center for New Community - Works to revitalize community toward democracy, justice, and racial equality. Includes a calendar of events and resources.
Meta Description: [ The mission of the Center for New Community is to build community, justice, and equality. CNC currently focuses its efforts through three highly successful programs - The Building Democracy Initiative counters organized racism, anti-immigrant activity, and other forms of bigotry through strategic... ]
Center for the Evolution of Democracy - A non-profit organization dedicated to the task of making new ideas and information available for the purpose of democratizing undemocratic systems, and for improving democratic processes that are still only partially realized.
Center for Voting and Democracy - Provides information to the public about the impact of voting systems on political representation, proportional representation, voter turnout, and the influence of money in elections.
Centre for Democracy and Development - A non-profit, non governmental, institution dedicated to policy-oriented scholarship on questions of democratic development and peace-building in West Africa. Site includes press releases, strategy statement, current projects and publications, and partner organizations.
CITIDEP - A non-profit, multi-national research institution on participatory democracy, with focus on the impact of information technologies. Site lists activities, research areas, papers, and events.
CommonBorders - A non-partisan organization of volunteer international election observers based in Victoria, British Columbia. Site describes activities in Latin America, lists goals and objectives, and provides application form.
Meta Description: [ CommonBorders is a community-based, non-partisan non-profit society that coordinates international electoral delegations. CommonBorders provides Victorians with the unique opportunity to experience and learn about democratic processes and social justice movements in Latin America while serving as... ]
Democracies Online - Promoting the development and sustainability of online civic participation and democracy efforts around the world through experience, outreach, and education.
Democracy Coalition Project - An Open Society Institute initiative supporting civil society coalitions around the world that promote democratic reforms.
Meta Description: [ Democracy Coalition Project seeks to build open democratic societies by supporting civil society coalitions around the world that promote democratic reforms at home and abroad. ]
Democracy Watch - An independent, non-profit, non-partisan Canadian citizen advocacy organization seeking to empower Canadians as voters, citizens, taxpayers, and consumers.
Meta Description: [ Democracy Watch is an Ottawa-based non-profit, non-partisan citizen advocacy organization that focuses ondemocratic reform, government and corporate accountability in Canada. ]
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Electoral Systems - Includes information about electoral systems of the world, as well as a focus on proportional representation.
Meta Description: [ Representation is essential to democracy: How does one ensure that all significant groups and points of view are represented? ]
Ethic of Citizenship - Introduces the book Toward an Ethic of Citizenship Creating a Culture of Democracy for the 21st Century
Meta Description: [ This site introduces the idea that representation is the highest obligation of citizenship. ]
Foundation for Democracy in Africa - A Washington based non-profit, nonpartisan organization focused on strengthening and enhancing the fundamental principles of democracy, and freedom in Africa.
Meta Description: [ The Foundation for Democracy in Africa is a Washington -based non-profit, nonpartisan organization. The Foundation was founded in 1994 with the intent to vertically integrate a culturally based program aimed at strengthening and enhancing the fundamental principles of democracy, freedom, and econ... ]
Free China Movement - Information and statements from the movement, with a discussion forum.
Meta Description: [ 自由中国运动, freechina.net ]
IDEA - International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance - Objective is to promote and advance sustainable democracy and to improve and consolidate electoral processes world-wide.
Meta Description: [ International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance is an intergovernmental organization which supports sustainable democracy worldwide. ]
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Improving Democracy - Essays on the functioning of different forms of democracy and suggestions for improvement.
Indonesia: The People's Resistance in Indonesia [CSVI] - The Indonesian Page of People Movement for Justice and Democracy.
Meta Description: [ The Indonesian Page of People Movement for Justice and Democracy. ]
Institute for Multiparty Democracy IMD - Supports the process of democratisation in young democracies. Based in The Hague, Guatemala and Maputo (Mozambique).
Meta Description: [ The homepage of nIMD ]
Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) - The world organization of parliaments. Site about parliamentary democracy, elections, human rights, participation of women in politics, and about how it all works on the level of national legislative institutions and internationally.
Meta Description: [ The Web site of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) offers information about parliamentary democracy, elections, human rights and the participation of women in politics. ]
International Republican Institute - Non-partisan Washington, DC-based group which conducts programs outside the United States to promote democracy and strengthen free markets and the rule of law. Site lists activities, volunteer opportunities, links, and historical speeches.
Meta Description: [ International Republican Institutes programs adhere to fundamental American principles such as individual liberty, rule of law, and entrepreneurial spirit that fosters economic development. IRI conducts programs outside the United States to promote democracy and strengthen free markets and the ... ]
International Resource Center for Democracy (IRCD) - An independent endeavor to make scholarly ideas and information on democracy more accessible, housed at Indiana University. Links to political and activist resources as well as constitutions, elections, human rights, and regionally oriented sites.
Meta Description: [ IRCD (International Resource Center for Democracy)
is an independent endeavor to make scholarly ideas and information
on democracy accessible to a wide variety of interested people in the US and abroad. While
IRCD will give special attention to developing countries in general and the Middle ... ]
Islamic Iran Participation Front - Promoting democracy in Iran.
MajorityVoice.com - A free, non-partisan, local/global, issue-specific, democratic forum system designed to enable humanity to define, proclaim and achieve common goals.
Meta Description: [ New technology to enable Electronic Democracy - Real Democracy - for all Humanity: not party politics as usual. Join us in this rEvolutionary concept of true, direct, actual democracy! Make your votes count with MVC's non-partisan Issue Forum System! ]
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs - Non-profit organization associated with the Democratic Party of the United States. Site describes current programs and research projects on the development of democracy, as well as a searchable resource exchange for democratic activists and practitioners.
Meta Description: [ An introduction to the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. ]
National Endowment for Democracy - A private, nonprofit, grant-making organization created to strengthen democratic institutions around the world. Offers access to research and analysis of democratic development around the world.
Meta Description: [ The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a private, nonprofit organization created in 1983 to strengthen democratic institutions around the world through nongovernmental efforts. ]
Network Democracy - Projects involve the use of Internetworking technologies to facilitate public participation in the processes of state, local and federal governments.
Meta Description: [ Information Renaissance Home Page ]
Network for Economic and Political Democracy - Aims to create the conditions for an alternative to New Labour and a new, truly democratic society.
Meta Description: [ The Network for Economic and Political Democracy aims to create the conditions for an alternative to New Labour and a new, truly democratic society ]
On Plato's Criticism of Democracy - Essay accepting Plato's observations of the weaknesses of democracy, but recognizing that the weaknesses can be minimized.
PSI - Defining Georgian Democracy - Partnership for Social Initiatives' fundamental goal is to help develop and advance democratic institutions and beliefs in Georgia.
Meta Description: [ an independent, nonpartisan, research and educational organization dedicated to the study and advancement of public policy in Georgia, Caucasus. ]
Ratifiers for Democracy - A democratic model that harmonizes representative and direct democracy, to ensure that legislation is citizen-mandated, and to be a loophole-free way to clean up the control that money and special interests now have in politics.
StateDemocracy.com - Aims to increase the American public's participation in the legislative processes for more democratic representation. Reports current events in Congress and State legislatures and offers communication between Citizens, legislators and interest groups.
Meta Description: [ State legislature,Lawmakers Pledge,Contesting Candidates,non profit,nonprofit organization,2006 Elections,democratic representative,Candidates Pledge,Lawmakers,Polling Place,public service,Senator,Legislators,constituents,Congress,pledge,federal legislation,one-stop portal,vote,Andrew Harris,shar... ]
The Western Democratic Tradition - An explanation and description of the western democratic tradition by a professor of constitutional law.
Meta Description: [ The Western Democratic Tradition and how it is now (1985) being eroded by Dr Mark Cooray. ]
The World Wide Democracy Network - Aims to link people wishing to contribute to the development of a new paradigm of democracy based on soft-systems thinking and complexity theory.
Time to Reengineer Democracy? - An invitation to a broad discussion to explore a reengineering of democracy for the better of all people on earth.
UNDP Democratization and Governance - United Nations conference on new or restored democracies; documents, statements, links, and related General Assembly resolutions available.
Meta Description: [ undp ]
Websters World of Cultural Democracy - A Web center for information and discussion about the world of cultural democracy.
Wikipedia: Democracy - Definition from an open content encyclopedia.
World Citizen Foundation - Nonprofit nonpartisan think-tank dedicated to the design of solutions to international problems based on the fundamental principles of equal human dignity, liberty, democracy and constitutionally protected basic rights of all. Activities, resources, volunteer information, staff, and petitions.
Meta Description: [ World Citizen Foundation - The Democracy Engineers' Think-tank ]
World Movement for Democracy - Nongovernmental effort to strengthen democracy where it is weak, to reform and invigorate democracy even where it is longstanding, and to bolster pro-democracy groups in countries that have not yet entered into a process of democratic transition.
Meta Description: [ The World Movement for Democracy is an initiative to strengthen collaboration among those working to promote democratic values and institutions. ]
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