Advantages and Disadvantages of a Democracy
Posted by the Speaker - 06/06/11 at 12:06:58 pm
Most people if given a choice on what type of government they would like to live with the most common answer would probably be a democracy because it allows a sense of freedom that is missing from many other types of government. However as with any style of government there are advantages and disadvantages of a Democracy.
The main advantage of a Democracy is that a country’s citizens feel a part of the process. Getting to vote on representatives allows you to have your voice heard no matter who you are. Free elections also allow for the people in Democracy to make changes to their government without having to resort to violence.
They way a Democracy is set up the people at the top also have certain responsibilities to Joe everyday citizen. The reality is if you want to be re-elected to your position you have to serve the people who have the ability to elect you again. There is no resting on your laurels in a Democracy.
There are a few key disadvantages to the Democracy as well. Just because people have the right to vote and can does not mean that they really understand complex government issues. So you can have large elements of people casting votes and not making very good decisions based on bad or misunderstood information.
Another disadvantage is that people can be heavily influenced by special interest groups in a Democracy. There becomes almost a team or mob mentality that makes people vote their party or their cause rather than critically thinking through what choice will help the most people.