DEMOCRACY

Liberal Democracy and an Illiberal Democracy

Liberal Democracy and an Illiberal Democracy

Summary

Liberal democracy is a form of government consisting of a representative democracy where elected representatives capacity for policy making is subject to the rule of law and usually moderated by a constitution that emphasizes the protection of individual rights and freedoms and collective setting restrictions to the leaders as to the execution of the will of a certain majority. Liberal democracies are often characterized by tolerance and pluralism, the different political and social ideas, even the most extreme, can coexist and compete for political power is always on a democratic basis. Liberal democracies hold regular elections where political groups have the opportunity to gain power. In practice, these elections are won by groups advocating liberal democracy, so the system perpetuates itself. The term "liberal" in the phrase "liberal democracy" does not imply that the government of a democracy of this type must strictly follow the political ideology of liberalism. Liberalism emerged as the synthesis of several elements: the immobility of the economy medieval, Renaissance anthropocentrism, the rationalism and utilitarianism, Protestantism, ranging conjugates and adapting each other for centuries. But the factors that act as catalysts for heterogeneous realities and divergent ideologies are individualistic anthropological conception of absolute freedom and Omni fashion.

Illiberal democracies are found primarily outside the Western world, in the democratization process subject states whose political past is no pluralism knows. Without this tradition of peaceful coexistence of different political ideas, restricts the actions of the democratically elected parties or leaders, one individual freedom and fundamental rights. This can happen if the constitution of the state determined to write no protection of these freedoms, or the regime defies them. This is due to the adoption of the ruling group that it was authorized by the election of the population to act as they think fit, without regard to existing laws, as long as it only keeps regular elections.

Often, the political power is centralized, i.e., either there is no separation of powers or various independent institutions of administration are resolved, so the government can exert direct influence on their levels of government. Another important feature is the lack of civil liberties such as freedom of speech and assembly, the opposition more difficult. Furthermore, the public media often controlled by government and support the regime. NGOs are subject to restrictions or be banned altogether. Critics are beset by bureaucracy, economic pressure and even violence. The spectrum of illiberal democracies far enough, from those that can almost be regarded as liberal democracies, to those who are more like dictatorships. Examples in Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East are found. Many illiberal democracies have been established in the mid and late 90s emerged years. One will definitely agree with Zakaria, did liberalism and democracy go hand in hand with the writing of our Constitution (Zakaria, 1997).

Democracy

Democracy simply means “for the people by the people”. Democracy rests on the authority of the people who are sovereign, the ultimate disposition of ...