Concepts of Democracy

The first basic concept of a democracy is the recognition of the worth of every individual. The government respects every single person and appreciates his or her existence. On top of that, they also recognize that they must do what is right for the common good. A democratic government cares about the common good, while still valuing each individual. This is evident in each decision the U.S. government makes. The next belief is the equality of all people. A Democratic government should give each citizen equal rights. Not every single person has the same ability, but they should be treated equally no matter what. The U.S government is working on equality right now by ridding our country of discrimination. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act was put into action a mere four years ago. The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law was only repealed two years ago. Yet soon, marriage will be accessible to LGBT couples. America has come far in creating true equality in the past few years. Democracies have a system a system of majority rule with minority rights. The majority makes the decisions. However, the majority should still respect the rights of the minority. In America, Democrats could win an election or pass a law, but that doesn’t mean that Republicans don’t matter. The recognition of the need for compromise is a concept that is the basis of democracies. Two sides have to come to an agreement that gives them both things that they had set out for. Everyone’s opinions and ideas should be fully taken into consideration and a compromise will be made between the opinions. Democrats and Republicans have to come to compromises frequently to solve problems together. The respect of personal liberties and freedoms is one of the most important concepts that make up a democracy. All freedoms are only valid if they do not infringe upon another person’s freedoms or put others in danger. A democratic government must find a settlement between the rights of