Abstract
Democracy is a political system based on the method of collective decision-making with the equal influence of participants on the outcome of the processor at its essential stages. Although this method is applicable to any social institution, today its most important application is the state, since it has a lot of power. In this case, the definition of democracy is usually narrowed down to one of the following: 1) The appointment of leaders by the people they govern is through fair and competitive elections. 2) The people are the only legitimate source of power. 3) Society exercises self-government for the common good and the satisfaction of common interests. People's government requires the provision of a number of rights for each member of society. A number of values are associated with modern democracy: legality, political and social equality, freedom, the right to self-determination, human rights, etc.
TopIntroduction
Democracy (ancient Greek δημοκρατία “people power” from δῆμος “people” + κράτος “power”) is a political system based on the method of collective decision-making with equal influence of participants on the outcome of the process or at its essential stages (Oxford University Press, 2021). Although this method is applicable to any social institution, today its most important application is the state, since it has a lot of power. In this case, the definition of democracy is usually narrowed down to one of the following:
- 1.
The appointment of leaders by the people they govern is through fair and competitive elections.
- 2.
The people are the only legitimate source of power
- 3.
Society exercises self-government for the common good and the satisfaction of common interests (Chitadze, 2016).
People's government requires the provision of a number of rights for each member of society. A number of values are associated with modern democracy: legality, political and social equality, freedom, the right to self-determination, human rights, etc.
Since the ideal of democracy is difficult to achieve and is subject to different interpretations, many practical models have been proposed. Until the 18th century, the most famous model was direct democracy, where citizens exercise their right to make political decisions directly, through consensus or through procedures for subordinating a minority to a majority (Budge, 2001). In a representative democracy, citizens exercise the same right through their elected deputies and other officials by delegating to them a part of their own rights, while the elected leaders make decisions taking into account the preferences of the governed and are responsible to them for their actions.
One of the main goals of modern democracy is to limit arbitrariness and abuse of power. This goal has often failed to be achieved where human rights and other democratic values were not universally recognized or were not effectively protected by the legal system. Today, in many countries, democracy is equated with liberal democracy, which, along with fair, periodic and general elections of persons vested with supreme power, during which candidates freely compete for votes, includes the rule of law, separation of powers and constitutional restrictions on majority power through guarantees certain personal or group freedoms. On the other hand, left-wing movements, prominent economists, as well as representatives of the Western political elite such as former US President Barack Obama, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde argue that the exercise of the right to make political decisions, the influence of ordinary citizens on the country's politics is impossible without ensuring social rights, equality of opportunity and low levels of socio-economic inequality (Chitadze, 2016).
A number of authoritarian regimes had the outward signs of democratic rule, but in them only one party possessed power, and the policy pursued did not depend on the preferences of the voters. Over the last quarter of a century, the world has been characterized by a trend towards the spread of democracy. Among the relatively new problems facing it are separatism, terrorism, population migration, and the growth of social inequality. International organizations such as the UN, OSCE and the EU believe that control over the internal affairs of the state, including issues of democracy and respect for human rights, should be partially in the sphere of influence of the international community.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Norms: Generalized standards of behavior that once accepted shape collective expectations about appropriate conduct.
Liberalism: A paradigm predicated on the hope that the application of reason and universal ethics international relations can lead to a more orderly, just, and cooperative world. liberalism assumes that anarchy and war can be policed by institutional reforms that empower international organizations and law.
Civil Society: A community that embraces shared norms and ethical standards to collectively manage problems without coercion and through peaceful and democratic procedures for decision making aimed at improving human welfare.
Intellectual Property: Inventions created by the use of human intelligence in publications art and design by individuals that are often illegally used for commercial purposes without credits or royalties to their creators in violation of GAT`s agreement.
Development: The processes, economic and political, through which a country develops to increase its capacity to meet its citizen’s basic human needs and raise their standard of living.
Humanitarian Intervention: The use of peacekeeping troops by foreign states or international organizations to protect endangered people from gross violations of their human rights and from mass murder.
Morality: Principles about the norms for behavior that should govern an actor's interactions.
Comparative Advantage: The concept in liberal economics that a state will benefit if it specializes in the production of those goods which it can produce at a lower opportunity cost.
Human Rights: The political rights and civil liberties recognized by the international community as inalienable and valid for individuals in all countries by virtue of their humanity.
Information Age: The era in which the rapid creation and global transfer of information through mass communication contributes to the globalization of knowledge.
Intergovernmental Organization (IGOs): Institutions created and joined by state governments which give them authority to make collective decisions to manage particular problems on the global agenda.
Collective Good: A public good, such as safe drinking water, from which everyone benefits.
Constitutional Democracy: Government processes that allow people, through their elected representatives, to exercise power and influence the state’s policies.
Democratic Peace: The theory that although democratic states sometimes wage wars against nondemocratic states, they do not fight one another.
Morals: Principles clarifying the difference between good and evil and the situations in which they are opposed.
Classical Liberal Economic Theory: A body of thought based on Adam Smith’s ideas about the forces of supply and demand in the marketplace, emphasizing the benefits of minimal government regulation of the economy and trade.
Nongovernmental Organizations: Transnational organizations of private citizens maintaining consultative status with the UN. They include professional associations, foundations, multinational corporations, or simply internationally active groups in different states joined together to work toward common interests.
International Court of Justice (ICJ): The primary court established by the United Nations for resolving legal disputes between states and providing advisory opinions to international agencies and the UN General Assembly.
End of History: Francis Fukuyama`s thesis that the end-point in the ideological debate about the best form of government and economy had been reached, with liberal capitalism and democracy prevailing throughout the world without serious competition from advocates of either communism or autocracy.
Liberal International Economic Order (LIEO): The set of regimes created after World War II designed to promote monetary stability and reduce barriers to the free flow of trade and capital.
Democracy: a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation (“direct democracy”), or to choose governing officials to do so (“representative democracy”). Who is considered part of “the people” and how authority is shared among or delegated by the people has changed over time and at different rates in different countries, but over time more and more of a democratic country's inhabitants have generally been included. Cornerstones of democracy include freedom of assembly, association and speech, inclusiveness and equality, citizenship, consent of the governed, voting rights, freedom from unwarranted governmental deprivation of the right to life and liberty, and minority rights.
Interdependence: A situation in which the behavior of international actors greatly affects others with whom they have contact, making all parties mutually sensitive and vulnerable to the others actions.
Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM): The UN Development Programs attempt to measure the extent of gender equality across the globe`s countries, based on estimates of women’s relative economic income, high paying position, and access to professional and parliamentary positions.
Complex Interdependence: A model of world politics based on the assumptions that states are not the only important actors, security is not the dominant national goal, and military force is not the only significant instrument of foreign policy. This theory stresses cross-cutting ways in which the growing ties among transnational actors make them vulnerable to each other’s actions and sensitive to each other’s needs.
Human Development Index (HDI): An index that uses life expectancy literacy, average number of years of schooling and income to assess a country’s performance in providing for its people’s welfare and security.
Information technology (IT): The techniques for storing, retrieving, and disseminating through computerization of the internet recorded data and research knowledge.
Pacifism: The liberal idealist school of ethical thought that recognizes no conditions that justify the taking of another human’s life even when authorized by a head of state.
Human Security: A measure popular in liberal theory of the degree to which the welfare of individuals is protected and promoted in contrast to realist theory’s emphasis on putting the states interests in military and national security ahead of all other goals.
European Union (EU): A regional organization created by the merger of the European Coal and Steel Community, the European Atomic Energy Community and the European Economic Community (called the European Community until 1993) that has since expanded geographically and in its authority.
International Regime: Embodies the norms, principles and rules. An institution around which global expectations unite regarding a specific international problem.
Human Needs: Those basic physical, social, and political needs, such as food and freedom that are required for survival and security.
Peace Building: Post-conflict actions predominantly diplomatic and economic that strengthen and rebuild governmental infrastructure and institutions in order to avoid renewed recourse to armed conflict.
Commercial Liberalism: An economic theory advocating free markets and the removal of barriers to the flow of trade and capital as a locomotive for prosperity.
Transparency: With regard to the GATT the principle that barriers to trade must be visible and thus easy to target.