26 November 2007
Democracy Glossary
Agora -- the administrative center of ancient Athens, Greece, with courts, temples, and similar buildings. As the central meeting place of ancient Athens, the agora has become associated in modern memory with the origins of democratic concepts and institutions.
Civic responsibility -- In democracy, civic responsibility means taking active measures to be part of the community, to improve the community, to run for public office, to report crime and corruption and to help others achieve their potential.
Common law -- The traditional body of British law dating from the Middle Ages that became increasingly codified in England and America in the 18th century and formed the basis of American constitutional government.
Constitutionalism -- Pertaining to the fundamental law of a democracy, as codified in a constitution. Democratic constitutions spell out the fundamental structure of government, but usually leave elaboration to legislative bodies.
Corruption -- Social or governmental behavior that illegally or immorally diverts resources to the self, that properly belong to others or to society as a whole. Corruption saps the vitality of democracy. To participate actively in a democratic society, citizens need to be sure the fruits of their labor will go to legitimate goals and institutions, not corrupt individuals.
Demos -- An ancient Greek word for the citizens of a Greek state. In liberal democracy, the concept of 'demos' is all-important, for it is the fundamental rights of ordinary people that give legitimacy to the state.
Direct democracy -- When people in a small group or geographic area assemble and regulate their community personally, without electing representatives, it is called 'direct democracy.' This is as opposed to 'representative democracy,' the most common arrangement, which involves voting for officials to represent a large group of citizens in a legislature.
Due process -- Legal process that respects the rights of the accused, no matter how unpopular. Due process is the fundamental characteristic of democracy. In general, due process guarantees rights to a fair hearing or trial before an impartial magistrate, and freedom from cruel or unusual punishment.
Fundamental rights -- In democratic theory, fundamental rights generally include the right to liberty, freedom of thought and justice before the law, as well as basic social equality with other human beings.
Habeas corpus -- A Latin phrase referring to one of the central concepts of due process, which is that people may not be arrested and held in detention without cause and without a legal warrant from a judge. In democracy, a citizen who feels he is unlawfully imprisoned may petition for a writ of habeas corpus and a hearing before a judge. If being held illegally by the state, he must be released. Habeas corpus may be suspended in wartime or emergency.
Independent judiciary -- In democratic constitutional theory, the judiciary (the courts) must be independent in the sense of not being subservient to the executive (the leader) nor to the legislature. The judiciary must have sufficient prestige, power, and the popular respect in order to be able to define the structure of the constitution, enforce constitutional law, and restrain the other branches of government from lawless behavior.
Interest groups -- In democracies, nongovernmental organizations that represent various segments of society with various goals or needs. Interest groups try to influence public opinion and public officials in order to gain recognition for their cause.
Liberal democracy -- The modern form of democracy, which tends to stress individual rights and protections, as opposed to collective rights.
Minority rights -- Most decisions in democracy are made by voting. While the majority that wins the vote achieves its objectives, it still must respect the rights of the minority that lost the vote. Minority rights mean that political losers are not oppressed, imprisoned or silenced, and may continue to represent their political interests in the hope of winning someday.
Natural rights -- A concept that arose in the 18th century, from the concept of natural law. Natural rights mean that all human beings have rights because they are human. The concept of natural rights is the basis of the democratic belief that all human beings are fundamentally similar, and have the same rights before government and the law.
Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) -- In democracy, organizations that are important or essential to the functioning of society, yet not part of government. They may include churches, unions, professional or business groups, or interest groups focusing on issues such as human rights or the environment. Some operate within national boundaries; increasingly, some of these groups operate on an international basis.
Pluralism -- The recognition in democratic culture that individuals may retain their cultural and group traits while being part of a larger democratic nation.
Representative democracy -- As opposed to direct democracy, representative democracy occurs when the population becomes too large for direct democracy. Basically, it means that people vote for elected officials to run their government or governments.
Sovereignty -- The right to rule a given nation. In democracy, the theory is that the people, taken as a whole, have sovereignty.
Transparency -- The right of ordinary citizens in a democracy to know what is happening in their government, in leadership councils, in the legislature, in the courts and in administrative bodies. In recent decades, democratic governments have become more transparent, opening more meetings to the public and releasing more information to the press and to citizens. Even so, democratic government still has the right to protect essential or sensitive information.
