Basic principles of democracy

In a broad sense, democracy means not just the organization of political government, but the form of the organization of a society with a certain worldview. This form corresponds to their institutions of power. Theoretical justification for a principled understanding of this method of government was first laid down by J. J. Rousseau.

The basis of the values of modern democracy is concentrated in the formula "Every person is born free, all people are equal in rights". The principles of democracy begin with the main value - freedom. It is regarded as the basis of any society of this type. As the main value of the regime, freedom does not prescribe specific behavior, does not impose the content of people's activities, but opens up opportunities for them to choose them at their own discretion.

All rights and freedoms are subdivided into such groups as economic, elementary, civil, cultural, political and social rights.

The principles of democracy are impossible without such value as the principle of equality of people. By this principle we understand not the identity of all people, but their equality in rights and duties in the Christian sense. Everyone has the right to happiness, freedom, life. This regime seeks to provide people with all opportunities for personal development. Regardless of social, racial, religious or other differences. The law, as well as the organization of civil society, protects the rights of all people. The more developed civil society is, the more developed are the principles of democracy in it.

The basic principles of this type of political regime include the principle of pluralism. Since freedom is the main value, society must ensure that its protection is obligatory. Hence the ideological, religious, ideological, economic and political pluralism of the Western regimes. Pluralism is understood as a variety of forms of ownership, ideological trends, public interests, etc. The very concept grew out of the ideology of liberalism.

Relying on all these values, modern principles of democracy imply an indispensable condition of government - by a majority in the protection of minority rights. Given the diversity of opinions, it is difficult to make decisions that satisfy all. Therefore, the logical solution to this problem is the adoption of decisions on the principle of the majority. The power is given to a circle of persons for whom the majority of voters vote in elections.

However, these basic principles of democracy do not lead to ignoring the interests of the minority and do not prohibit it from defending its positions and beliefs. Therefore, the regime recognizes the right of the opposition to exist, as well as the possibility of its coming to power in the next elections. The guarantee of the rights of the opposition is another important rule on which all principles and norms of democracy are based.

The basis of the political structure of the state in this context is the functioning of certain institutions. These include elected officials, fair and free elections, the universal right to claim various positions in the government, freedom of speech, the existence of a large number of sources of information and the freedom of self-organization of citizens.

Understanding and interpretation of political democracy are quite diverse, as evidenced by a large number of theories (existing concepts are divided into collectivist and representative). For a deep understanding of this concept it is necessary to consider democracy in the interpretation of various scientific concepts. Based on certain criteria, these theories can be compared, and draw their own conclusions.