Democracy, Citizen Engagement, and Rule of Law

• For democracy to succeed, citizens must be active and understand that the government's success or failure is their responsibility.
• Government officials in a democracy should treat all citizens equally, and bribery is unacceptable.
• Citizens can organize, advocate for change, or vote leaders out of office through elections.
• Democracies require continuous citizen engagement and commitment, while citizens rely on the government to protect their rights and freedoms.

Law Enforcement and Creation

• Laws are enforced and created based on the Rule of Law, where all entities, including the government, must adhere to the law.
• The Rule of Law is a nearly universal value, with the United Nations General Assembly identifying human rights, the rule of law, and democracy as universal and indivisible values.
• The United Nations prioritizes the Rule of Law in Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG16), emphasizing its role in promoting peaceful, just, and inclusive societies and ensuring sustainable development.
• One of SDG16's targets is to promote the rule of law at national and international levels to ensure equal access to justice for all.
• A bill must be voted on by both houses of congress: the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Basic Human Rights

• Democracies must protect freedom of speech, expression, religion, belief, due process, equal protection under the law, and the freedom to organize, speak out, dissent, and participate fully in public life.
• Tolerance, debate, and compromise is needed so free societies can reach agreements that embrace majority rule and minority rights.
• Democracies recognize that diversity can be an asset and treat differences in identity, culture, and values as a challenge that can strengthen and enrich them.

Benefits and Drawbacks

• Citizens in democracies have the chance to be personally involved with their government, unlike in a monarchy.
• Democracy is considered one of the fairest forms of government because everyone has a voice in decisions.
• In a democracy, everyone gets to voice their decisions, is treated equally, and no one receives supreme power over the legislative process.
• Even if a voice is not in the majority, there is an agreement that the vote stands unless there is a clear moral objection to the outcome.
• Democracy can be one of the least cost-efficient forms of government.
• In a democracy, anyone over 18 can vote, regardless of their knowledge.
• Centralized government structures can make declarations on rules, regulations, or responses that are not always possible in a democratic structure.

Government Formation

• On May 14, 1948, the state of Israel declared independence and became the first full democracy in the Middle East.
• Government formation is the process of selecting a prime minister and cabinet members.
• If no party controls a majority of seats, it involves deciding which parties will be part of the government.
• Government formation usually occurs after an election but can also occur after a vote of no confidence in an existing government.
• A failure to form a government is a type of cabinet crisis where a functional cabinet cannot be formed, typically after an inconclusive election.
• The process of government formation can sometimes be lengthy; after the 2013 German federal election, Germany engaged in 85 days of government formation negotiations.

Key Characteristics

• Democracy is the most successful political idea in the world, allowing ordinary people a decisive say in who governs a country and how they govern it.
• It is based on a system of government by all the citizens of a country, typically exercised through elected representatives.
• Every country has a unique democratic system.
• Six key features indicate a strong democracy.