American Government
Sections: Introduction | Section 1 | Section 2

Government : Ideals of Democracy : Section Two

Ideals of Democracy

In a democracy, the people are sovereign. This means that the power rests in the hands of the people. A democracy can be either direct or representative. The ideas of democracy originated in ancient Greece, which was made up of many city-states. Each city-state had its own government and leader. Around 500 BC, the city-state of Athens adopted a democratic form of government. All citizens were allowed to vote; but slaves, women, and men who did not own property were not considered full citizens and therefore did not have voting rights. In the 300s BC, the Greek philosopher Aristotle advanced his ideas about democracy, citizenship, and constitutions in a work titled Politics.

Ancient Greek ruins This system of democracy in ancient Greece was a direct democracy.  In a direct democracy, laws and public policy are based on the will of the people.  People come together in large meetings and vote on all issues of importance to the government.  Another example of direct democracy, also called pure democracy, can be found in colonial America.  The New England colonies held town meetings in their local meeting houses and met to pass laws and make other important decisions.  A direct democracy can only exist in a small community because it requires the participation of all citizens to work properly.

The United States is an example of a representative democracy.  The nation is far too large to be a direct democracy.  It would not be possible for all individuals to actually vote on all the issues that our legislators vote on on a regular basis.  Instead, we elect officials to represent us and vote on our behalf.  Our elected officials are held accountable for their actions by periodic elections.  If the citizens are unhappy with the actions of an official, he/she will not be voted back into office. 

A representative/indirect democracy can also be called a republic. In a republic sovereign power resides in the electorate, or voting population, which chooses officials to represent them in the government.

It’s time to study the key terms.  Use the flash card activity below to practice the key terms from this unit.  These terms will be included on the next quiz and the unit exam.

The United States is just one example of a democracy.  There are other democratic nations throughout the world.  Although their governmental structures may vary, , there are 5 basic concepts of democracy that the governments of these countries should have in common:

  1. They should recognize the worth of every individual
  2. They should believe in the equality of all people
  3. They should be based on the principle of majority rule with minority rights
  4. They should recognize the need for compromise
  5. Personal liberties and freedoms should be respected

Below is an explanation of each of these concepts:

1. Worth of the Individual

In a democracy, the government should respect and recognize the worth of all individual people.  At the same time, the government should look out for the common good of all citizens, and this involves setting rules that must be followed by all people.  For example, one may say that enforcing speed limit laws is infringing on the people’s right to decide for themselves how fast they want to drive, but this is done as a protection for all citizens.

2. Equality

In the Declaration of Independence, it states that “all men are created equal”.  Although it is commonly known that not all people have equal abilities, and we are all distinct individuals, the government in a democracy should recognize that we have equal rights and are to be viewed in the same way by the eyes of the law

3. Majority rule and minority rights

Because the United States is a republic, and source of power rests in the hands of the voters, it can be said that we have a system of majority rule – one in which the majority gets to make the decisions.  Election winners get a majority of the votes, and therefore the decision of the majority is what happens.  The majority, however, should respect the rights of the minority group.  It should listen to the minority’s arguments when making decisions.  When deciding how to vote, for example, we should listen to both sides and make an educated decision.

4. Need for Compromise

In order for decisions to be made and agreements to be reached, compromise is necessary.  A compromise mixes the wants of each side and gives each side a little of what they want, and little of what they did not want.  It is a give and take situation.  Since all individuals are equal in a democracy, everyone’s opinion should be seen as valid and taken into consideration.  A compromise is the result of the discussion and decision making process in order to get things done.

5. Freedoms

In a democracy, individuals have many freedoms.  These freedoms do have limits, however.  One person’s freedoms only extend to the point where they infringe upon another person's freedoms. For example, people have the freedom of speech in the United States and can say what they please.  This freedom can be limited in some situations if it presents a “clear and present danger” to others (such as yelling “fire” in a crowded theatre).  Former Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes once described this concept by saying, “The right to swing my fist ends where the other man’s nose begins.” Finding a balance between the rights of individuals and the rights of others is a challenging one, and such issues are regularly brought before the courts.

In the United States these individual freedoms, known as our civil liberties, are outlined in the Bill of Rights.  The Bill of Rights, which we will learn about in detail later on, is the first 10 amendments to the Constitution.  These freedoms include freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the rights of those accused of a crime, etc.

Discussion Question:

Go to the discussion area and post your response to the following critical thinking question:

The United States is a democracy, with power resting in the hands of the people. In this activity you will consider two of the other types of government that you just read about in Section 1 and compare them to a democracy. In this comparison, include the five basic concepts of democracy, and consider how each of these concepts makes a democracy different from the other two kinds of government.

 Before completing the quiz, let’s take one more opportunity to study.  Practice your vocabulary knowledge here:

 Now it’s time to complete the Section 2 quiz. 

 Once you’ve completed all activities in this unit, study the materials and complete the Unit 1 exam.
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