Pros and Cons of Democracy

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Democracy is a very popular, and historically successful, form of government that puts the power in the people’s hands…kind of. The way democracy works is civilians vote in elections to decide who they would like to represent them in different tiers of the government. These elected officials then make vital decisions on the people’s behalf. There are various branches of power within the government, creating a “checks and balances” system where each sector monitors the other. Some of the most successful countries in the world are a democracy. However, it is not without it’s flaws. Let’s take a look at all sides of democracy.

The Pros of Democracy

By The People, For The People
Everyone is allowed to vote and weigh in on what they think about social, political, and economic issues within the country. This ensures that whatever decisions are made are in the interest of the people of the country and not just the government leaders.

Equality
The vote of every person carries the same weight, making democracy a system of government built on equality. This reigns true in all forms of elections, making each and every person feel important and heard.

No One Person Has All The Power
Another large pro of democracy is that the power is spread out. No one person holds all of the power, or even the majority of the power. This prevents, or rather helps to prevent, corruption and the exploitation of the people.

The Cons of Democracy

The Minority Gets The Short End
Since democracy is set up to cater to the majority, the minority groups in these countries are often overlooked, and even exploited. Many laws and policies that favor the majority, are hurtful to the minority. This causes a large divide between the two groups.

Fraud With Numbers
The larger the population of a democracy gets, the harder it is to function efficiently. Voting and vote tallying becomes a seemingly impossible task, which leads to corrupt things like voter fraud.

Free Time Rules
The people that have the most free time to attend meetings and other government related debates have the most influence over decisions being made. People that have full schedules and no time to attend these meetings cannot have the same pull.

Democracy is a tried and true system of government that has produced fantastic social and economical success, but are some countries outgrowing this form of government?