Democracy

➡️ DEMOCRACY - A Tool for Human Rights, Peace & Development

The word democracy was created from two Greek words - 'Demos', meaning people or citizen, and 'Kratos', meaning power or rule. Democracy helps to create law and order and is the only system of governance that holds leaders accountable to the will of the people.

Corruption, greed, censorship, political divisions, the media, unequal access to education, resources, and reliable information are major threats to democracy - Half the world's countries are currently experiencing democratic decline.

As the key to achieving social justice, providing fundamental human rights to all citizens, securing sustainable economic and social development, and the creation of stable and peaceful international relations, protecting democracy is a priority.

Jump straight to our resources on ➡️ Democracy

Explore our comprehensive guides on -

• Key Threats to Democracy

• Freedom of Information and Transparency

• Important Resources and Websites

• Initiatives Supporting Democracy

• The Suffragettes 

• Press Freedom

• The History of Democracy

While certainly not perfect, democratic governance best enables citizens to live freely and with dignity. For the foundations of democracy to be upheld, the following criteria must exist -

• Free and fair elections

• Peaceful transitions of power

• The rule of law

• Independent judicial processes

• Political engagement of citizens

• The separation of powers

• An independent media

• And the protection of fundamental human rights

Better World Info promotes days such as International Day of Democracy, where the global state of Democracy is reviewed, and goals are recommitted to make Democracy a reality for everyone, everywhere. We recommend following our excellent Twitter list on Democracy for critical analysis and updates from rights and freedom advocates, activists, NGOs, and civil rights experts.

We invite German speakers to visit our partner site, Bessere Welt Info and the category Demokratie for 900 links to the world of democracy from a European perspective.

"Peace cannot exist without justice, justice cannot exist without fairness, fairness cannot exist without development, development cannot exist without democracy, democracy cannot exist without respect for the identity and worth of cultures and peoples." - Rigoberta Menchú Tum, K'iche' Guatemalan human rights activist, feminist, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Citizen Empowerment - Driving Democracy Forward

Political education and citizen engagement are essential tools in a democratic society. Learn about the famous historic initiatives that have fought for our rights, such as the Occupy Movement and the Suffragettes ‘Vote for Women’ campaign.

Without informed citizens, society loses its ability to make choices in accordance with their own interests. Democracy requires active participation, including voting and civic engagement.

One of the biggest challenges to democracy that we face is political apathy. For example, in the U.S. 2020 presidential election, only 62% of citizens of voting age cast their ballot - this was the highest voter turnout since 1960! Levels of apathy in young people are even worse. During the UK 2019 General Election, voter turnout for people aged 18-24 was just 47%.

Countries that have higher levels of democracy and freedom produce governments that are accountable to their citizens and more responsive to their needs. An informed population can make smart political decisions.

Poor governance leaves a legacy for decades. It is a key driver of poverty, inequality, inflation, unemployment, weak economic growth, violent conflict, rights violations, and the failure of critical social provisions such as healthcare and education.

Upholding democracy in developing countries where citizens tend to be less empowered, educated, and politically engaged is especially important. Fragile states and weak governance breed corruption, repression, and rights violations, and the risk of coups is much greater.

Learn about key issues in democracy from a development perspective, such as social accountability, women’s political participation, and economic development. Open governance embraces the concepts of transparency and integrity. Freedom of information ensures that citizens know exactly what their government is doing. Discover the many opportunities for reform and progress, including decentralisation, participatory governance, eGovernance, and much more.

Key Democratic Issues - Is Democracy for Sale?

FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

Suppression of information is one of today's biggest threats to democracy. In countries such as North Korea, Eritrea, Russia, China, and Myanmar, citizens are intentionally left uninformed and misinformed. This type of attack on freedom of information promotes corrupt political leadership and violates our rights.

Worldwide, one journalist is killed every 5 days just for bringing critical information to the public. Attacks on local journalists are often by militias and police. Those who are not killed often face harassment, intimidation, and arbitrary detention.

The cornerstones of democracy rely on transparency, impartiality, equality, and sovereignty. When censorship, corruption, funding by the rich, and bribes are tolerated, democracy simply cannot exist.

Citizens rely on a free and independent press to relay the facts, expose injustices, and hold those in power responsible for governmental failures. We have collated the best Real News platforms where truth is prioritised over political narratives, propaganda, and corporate dominance. Explore categories on investigative journalism and censored and under-reported stories, as well as our alternative media toolbox to find news in your country.

We also explore the online world of filter bubbles, fake news, and the impact of social media on democracy. Algorithms act as an information filter and expose us to the risks of data harvesting and microtargeting of voters. The infamous case of the Cambridge-Analytica Facebook scandal exposed how democracy is compromised when we lose control of our personal data.

Learn how the hacking and disinformation group Team Jorge attempted to manipulate 33 presidential elections around the world. The Israeli-owned private contractors used an army of fake profiles on social media to profit from the undermining of democracy.

Net neutrality is vitally important in ensuring our rights are upheld. Famously, in 2017, Trump attempted to roll back regulations allowing internet providers to block or slow down access to certain online content - an attempt which thankfully did not succeed.

THE RISE OF RIGHT-WING POPULISM, NATIONALISM AND FASCISM

The Donald Trump victory in the 2024 U.S. Presidential election, Brexit, the rise of Hindu Nationalism in India, the de facto annexation of the occupied West Bank by Israel, the destruction of the Brazilian Amazon, and the anti-immigration and LGBTQI+ policies implemented in Hungary, are all examples of extreme right-wing narratives which undermine democracy and work against the people and their best interests.

The notion of restoring national sovereignty breeds prejudice, ignorance, the undermining of human rights, conflict, xenophobia, and racism. The kind of leadership we have seen from Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, Narendra Modi, Jair Bolsonaro, and Viktor Orbán have served to weaken defence mechanisms for our freedoms, the rule of law, tolerance, social institutions, and pluralism.

MILITARY COUPS AND DEMOCRACY - Power vs Freedom

Coups directly undermine the democratic choices of citizens, popular sovereignty, and majority rule. Military takeovers usually lead to the suspension of constitutional rights and liberties and disruption to the normal functioning of democratic institutions and processes.

Removing these rights and protective mechanisms often results in autocracy, instability, fear, and violence. They are a major cause of displacement and have devastating humanitarian consequences for the people.

A coup occurs when an elected leader and their government are illegally overthrown by the military or other government elites. They are often driven by territorial disputes and internal conflicts. Coups almost always lead to greater repression and authoritarianism.

Find extensive coverage of coups in the following regions: Myanmar - Sudan - Niger - Central African Republic - Mali - Burkina Faso - Yemen - Bolivia

Although not in power through force, autocratic leaderships undermine the very institutions that brought them to office. They openly embrace corruption, fraud, repression, and control of the media, undermining fair elections and democracy to remain in power.

Learn more about the shift toward authoritarianism by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Türkiye, Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua, Vladimir Putin in Russia, Xi Jinping in China, and Aleksandr Lukashenko in Belarus.

ELECTION GUIDES

Explore our country-by-country guide and find stand-out election resources in the UK, the U.S. and Europe. We feature important information for voters on key parties, politicians, voter suppression, dirty campaigning, falsehoods, campaign finance, and everything you need to make an informed decision.

Democracy for a Better World

Democracy paves the way for security, stability, and prosperity. By providing a free and open information platform on key political and democratic issues, we hope to raise awareness and provide a space for experts and activists to network and share their knowledge.

If we remove political bias from society and classrooms, civic education can focus objectively on institutions and concepts which will foster a greater interest in politics and encourage young people to be active citizens.

Governments would become more diverse and inclusive, and election results would reflect the opinions of a broader sector of society due to higher voter turnouts. Political understanding also enables us to hold our governments accountable for poor decisions and demand positive change.

It is proven that education and democracy are connected. Higher levels of education raises civic participation and the support for democracy over dictatorships. Revolutions are much more likely when citizens are empowered, and anti-democratic coups become less likely to succeed.

We must not allow democratic institutions to be weakened. We must fight for free and fair elections and peaceful transitions of power. Finally, we must ensure that journalists and whistle-blowers are protected and their stories heard.

“If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” - George Washington

Author: Rachael Mellor, 03.08.23 (Updated 07.04.25) licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

For further reading on Democracy see below ⬇️