A democracy is a popular rule: a state where the people rule. A democracy is a state where the people themselves vote on laws or where the people elect representatives to make the laws. The meaning of the word ‘democracy’ is an amalgamation of the Greek words ‘demos’, meaning ‘people’, and ‘kratos’, meaning ‘power’. Characteristics of democracy are that power lies with the people and the people have the say. There are different types or forms of democracy. A distinction can be made between ‘indirect’ (or representative) democracy and ‘direct’ democracy. Different views on democracy can also be distinguished: the ‘formal’ and the ‘material’ view of democracy think differently about how a state should deal with opinions and views that a state experiences as threatening certain values that a state considers important and strives for. Furthermore, a democracy has advantages and disadvantages.
Democracy: its different forms and views
- Different forms of democracy
- Direct democracy
- Advantages of direct democracy
- Disadvantages of direct democracy
- Indirect democracy
- Advantages of indirect democracy
- Disadvantages of indirect democracy
- Different views on democracy
- Formal conception of democracy
- Material conception of democracy
- Democracy in the Netherlands
- The Netherlands is an indirect (parliamentary) democracy
- Material concept of democracy in the Netherlands
- Rule of law & democracy in the Netherlands
- Limitations of a democracy
- Dictatorship of the majority
- Abuse of power in a democracy
Different forms of democracy
The following forms of democracy can be distinguished:
- direct democracy
- indirect democracy
Direct democracy
Direct democracy means that the people vote directly on the laws made. So there is no intervention from representatives who do this. The most important example of direct democracy is the referendum in which the people vote on bills or laws. In a referendum, the majority of votes wins. The people’s assembly, another form of direct democracy, only exists in certain parts of Switzerland. The aim of direct democracy is to let the people themselves make decisions on issues that arise in a state, without any political interests that could influence decision-making playing a role.
The way in which the people can exert influence in a direct democracy:
- by voting in a referendum;
- by participating in a popular meeting.
Advantages of direct democracy
A direct democracy has the advantage that the outcome of a vote is a good reflection of the will of the people. A plebiscite can also give the people more clarity about decision-making in a state. Because the majority always wins in a referendum, it is clear to the people in advance what the meaning of the various outcomes is. Another advantage of direct democracy is that minorities, groups that form too small a minority to establish a political party, can participate in negotiations and debates and thus make their voices heard.
Disadvantages of direct democracy
The major disadvantage of direct democracy is that it is virtually impossible to have the people come together to meet and decide directly on bills. In the Netherlands, for example, this would mean that all Dutch people with the right to vote would have to come together in a certain place to meet and decide on a bill. Another disadvantage of direct democracy, more specifically a disadvantage of the referendum, is that because the majority always wins in a vote, the will of the majority is continuously imposed on the minority. In that case, groups of citizens in a society with less popular views no longer have a voice, which can cause the phenomenon called the ‘dictatorship of the majority’ to occur.
Indirect democracy
Indirect democracy, also called representative democracy, means that the people elect representatives who make the laws and vote on the bills. The people themselves do not directly determine which laws apply in a state, but do so indirectly by electing representatives who take over this task from the people. This form of democracy was created to serve as a solution to the problems that the direct form of democracy entails. This representative or indirect form of democracy is the most common. The aim of indirect or representative democracy is to bring about compromises between different social groups, whereby the largest group will have the predominance but the views of minorities are also taken into account. Because the population can shift power from one party to another through elections, and citizens can be part of several groups at the same time, a kind of balance is created that prevents only one group from dominating and retaining power. has hands.
The way in which the people can exert influence in an indirect or representative democracy:
- by choosing the members of a parliament (i.e. by voting ) ;
- by becoming a member of a representative body;
- by sending a petition to parliament.
Advantages of indirect democracy
Indirect democracy or representative democracy facilitates the decision-making process, because the entire population does not have to be brought together every time to debate or vote on bills. Another advantage of the indirect form of democracy is that there is a much smaller chance that minorities in a state will lose their vote, because smaller political parties can also be part of a representative body and can thus make their voice heard.
Disadvantages of indirect democracy
Because in a representative or indirect democracy a majority is always needed to adopt a bill, parties must work together. Due to cooperation between parties with differing visions, a party may not be able to do what it previously promised to the voters. Another disadvantage of indirect democracy is that it offers no protection against abuse of power by democratically elected leaders.
Different views on democracy
The following two main views on democracy can be distinguished:
- formal conception of democracy
- material conception of democracy
Formal conception of democracy
The formal view of democracy, also called formal democracy , is based on the idea of a ‘free market place of ideas’ : any view is allowed in a state, with the expectation that incorrect views will disappear automatically in a democratic manner. The formal view of democracy assumes that only the ‘correct’ opinions and views survive in a democracy, and that the ‘incorrect’ (or ‘bad’) opinions and views disappear by themselves due to a lack of support. According to formal democracy, this is a kind of self-correcting mechanism , which means that no measures need to be taken against views that are experienced as threatening to certain values of a state.
Material conception of democracy
In a state where the substantive democracy concept prevails, also called substantive democracy , a state prioritises the survival of certain values. Because a state attaches great importance to certain values, a state wishes to protect compliance with these values. These values can be protected by guaranteeing certain fundamental rights and promoting democracy. In a state where a substantive democracy prevails, political parties can be banned sooner than in a state where formal democracy prevails. Everything that a material democracy perceives as a threat to the survival of the values of that state must be combated. If a particular political party threatens these values, it is not inconceivable that a party ban will be introduced.
Democracy in the Netherlands
The Netherlands is a parliamentary democracy : Dutch voters choose the representatives who come to parliament every four years. You are entitled to vote in the Netherlands if you are at least 18 years old and have Dutch nationality.
The Netherlands is an indirect (parliamentary) democracy
The Netherlands is an indirect democracy. The Dutch people have no direct influence on policy, but can influence it indirectly through the elected representative body . Certain forms of direct democracy are applied in the Netherlands, such as the citizens’ initiative , in which citizens place a (legislative) proposal on the agenda of the parliament, and the people’s initiative , in which citizens draw up a bill themselves and, if there is sufficient support among the population (signatures), ) a referendum is held.
Material concept of democracy in the Netherlands
In addition, the Netherlands uses the substantive concept of democracy . This is evident, among other things, from the possibility that Article 2:20 of the Civil Code offers to ban legal entities (including political parties), and the possibility of attaching criminal consequences to this on the basis of Articles 51 and 140 of the Dutch Civil Code. Criminal law.
,A legal entity whose activity is contrary to public order shall be declared prohibited and dissolved by the court at the request of the Public Prosecution Service, (Article 2:20 paragraph 1 of the Civil Code).
Rule of law & democracy in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, the relationship between the concepts of ‘rule of law’ and ‘democracy’ is expressed by the fact that laws in a formal sense (that is, the laws established by the government and the States General together) are passed, among other things, by or with the consent of the parliament. are established, and the fact that both administration and judiciary must adhere to these (formal) laws. It goes without saying that the presence of ‘democracy’ in a state is one of the requirements for being able to speak of a ‘ democratic constitutional state ‘. On the other hand, the presence of ‘democracy’ is not a necessary condition for being able to speak of a ‘rule of law’.
Limitations of a democracy
Democracy has a number of limitations or possible dangers, such as:
- the phenomenon called the ‘dictatorship of the majority’, and;
- abuse of power by a democratically elected leader.
Dictatorship of the majority
The phenomenon called ‘dictatorship of the majority’ refers to the imposition of the will of a majority of the people on a minority of the people. In that case, the law of the strongest always applies, and minorities no longer have anything to say. This phenomenon is the same as the principle of ‘most votes’ , whereby the most votes determine the outcome and the fewest votes are lost. Because minorities are always outnumbered by the majority in referenda, there is a chance that the identity and opinions of many individuals in a state will disappear when that state applies this form of direct democracy.
Abuse of power in a democracy
In a democracy there can also be abuse of power . In this case, a leader comes to power in a democratic manner, but then abuses the power given to him by the people. An example from the history books of such a leader is Hitler. Hitler came to power in a democratic manner, and then abused this power. This has shown that the presence of democracy in a state does not provide protection against abuse of power and the misery this can bring.
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