What is Democracy? Why is Democracy?

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Democracy is a form of government in which the rulers are elected by the people. This basic definition separates democracy from monarchies, dictatorships, and military rule where rulers are not chosen…

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The simple definition is not adequate because many non-democratic governments also hold elections. We need to carefully examine what kind of elections, who can participate, and what powers the elected…

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In a democracy, the final decision-making power must rest with those elected by the people. Real power should not lie with unelected officials, military officers, or external forces, as seen in Pakist…

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Pakistan under General Musharraf (1999-2008). Although elections were held and assemblies existed, the real power was with military officers and General Musharraf, who were not elected by the people.

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Elections must offer a real choice between political alternatives, and it should be possible for people to remove existing rulers if they wish. Elections must be free and fair with a genuine chance fo…

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In China, elections do not offer real choice. Only members of the Communist Party or eight smaller allied parties can contest. Candidates need approval from the Communist Party, so people cannot choos…

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The PRI used many unfair practices: government employees had to attend party meetings, teachers forced parents to vote for PRI, media ignored opposition activities, polling booths were shifted last mi…

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In a democracy, each adult citizen must have one vote and each vote must have one value. This is based on the principle of political equality - everyone's vote should count equally regardless of their…