Democracy - everyday concepts
- SUBTOPICS
Foundations of democratic society
As a society we need to make decisions about things that affect us all. We are all part of society. An individual may be part of many different societies at the same time and people have multiple identities. Wherever there are people joined together in society or in communities, there is politics. Government is the term used to describe the institutions responsible for making collective decisions for society. Among the Foundations of democratic society are the concepts of Democratic rule, Legitimate government, and Universal civil and political rights as applied as Civil and political rights in NZ. More »
Popular control & political equality
Individual voters are the core of representative democracy because, together, they choose those who will make decisions for all. Elections provide a way for all to decide on the decision makers in a way that ensures that all voters have the same chance to participate. This gives us popular control and political equality. There are three sets of issues that relate to individuals’ involvement in elections: the question of who can vote, referred to as the franchise; the information that people need in order to have the chance to have their say; and theories that seek to explain how individuals decide whether to participate, and which candidate or party will win their vote(s) if they do. More »
Free & fair elections
Why should I accept the result of an election when my preferred party does not win? When an election result is accepted, the parliament and government formed from it have legitimacy. Free and fair’ is the phrase commonly used when assessing elections. Electoral laws and rules, and design of the voting system, particularly voting methods, electorates and how winners are found, together with sound election management are all key components. More »
Political choice
Individuals hold a range of views on most issues, including those relating to the role of the state and laws about individual behaviour. Political choice is most widely made and acted upon at elections. People hold different views on political issues and individuals with strong views take action, often working with others in advocacy groups or political parties. In an election voters do not express their political views on key issues but instead choose between the parties that are contesting the election. The news media play a vital role in providing much of the information that voters use when deciding how to vote, as well as shape perceptions of democracy through the way they cover politics and elections. More »
Representative democracy
We elect representatives who deliberate in assemblies and then make decisions on our behalf. Representation seems an easy concept – we elect representatives to act in our place with effective popular control at elections. But, in reality, representation is a highly contested concept: Who do MPs represent? Do MPs make better decisions than we do? Ofcourse, MPs may seek public opinion to help them decide because MPs and those in power are accountable. Many different structures of government are possible. More »
