Understanding Democracy

Understanding Democracy - Democracy is a form of government that every citizen has an equal right in the decisions that shape their lives. Democracy can also be interpreted as a form of government that is held by the people or rakatlah that have the highest sovereignty.

In addition to the above understanding of democracy, there are also some understanding of democracy, according to experts, as follows:

• Abraham Lincoln: According to him, the notion of democracy is a system of government that runs from the people, by the people and the people untu.
• Charles Costello: According to Charles Costello, the notion of democracy is a system of social and political self-government with the powers of government are constrained by the laws and customs to protect the rights of individual citizens
• Hans Kelsen: Hans Kelsen's definition of democracy is government by the people and for the people. Exercising state power is the people's representatives are elected. Where people have been convinced that all the will and interests will be respected in implementing the state power.
• Merriem: According Merriem, democracy is defined as government by the people, in particular, by the majority; government in which the supreme power remained on the people and performed by them either directly or indirectly through a system of representation that is usually done by holding free elections are held periodically; Common people in particular to appoint a source of political authority; the absence of class distinctions or privileges based on birth or arbitrariness.
• Sidney Hook: According to him, the notion of democracy is a form of government where decisions important government directly or not based on the agreement freely given majority of adult people.
• John L. Esposito: the power of and for the people. Therefore, everyone is entitled to participate, either actively or control the policies issued by the government. In addition, of course, public institutions there is a clear separation between the elements of the executive, legislative, and judicial.
• C.F. Strong: Democracy by definition C.F. Strong is a system of government in which the majority of board members of the community to participate in politics on the basis of a representative system that ensures the government ultimately accountable for its actions in the majority.
• Hannry B. Mayo: According Hannry B. Mayo, the notion of democracy is the common wisdom is determined on the basis of a majority of the representatives who monitored effectively by the people in elections based on the principle of political equality and runs from in an atmosphere where there is political freedom.
• Samuel Huntington: According to him, democracy is a collective decision-makers of the most powerful in a system selected through a fair elections, fair and periodic and candidates within the system freely compete for votes and Hamir entire adult population can be given a voice

Characteristics of Democracy:
Characteristics that describe a government based on the democratic system is as follows:

• Government based on the will and interests of the people.
• Constitutional characteristic, namely matters relating to the interests, the will, or the power of the people is written in the constitution and laws of the country.
• Feature Representation, which is in the city-state, sovereignty of the people represented by those few who have been chosen by the people themselves.
• Feature Election, which is a political activity undertaken to vote in the party administration in.
• Feature Political Parties, the party became a means / media to be part of the implementation of a democratic system.
• Feature Power, the division and separation of powers.
• Feature Responsibility, the responsibility of those who have chosen to participate in the implementation of a democratic system.