Analysis of the Article about Democracy - Essay Example

Democracy is one of those terms that you could ask a hundred different people what it means to them and come out with a hundred different answers. Not everybody is going to agree on all aspects of what a democracy may mean, and it very well may mean one thing to one person and another thing entirely to a different group of people. This paradox of democracy may lead to some debate as to what exactly it entitles, but out of this debate the true meaning of what democracy entails can become apparent.

The article "What Democracy isand is not" by Schmitter & Karl makes many good points on the overall term and idea that follow the different meanings of democracy that people may hold. . Offering many view points as to why, how ,where and why we got this idea of democracy as we now see it, it begins with the very needed statement saying that democracy is not one set institution which I believe over the course of time people have begun to try to force that idea. The idea was forced here in our own country that democracy had to be this way and was supposed to look exactly like this or that, and that is simply not the case, and then again nor should it be.

According to the article one of the most important aspects of a democracy is its citizens, and I could not wholeheartedly agree more. The more people who can vote and the much more democratic a state of being is, and just that much more power that is given to the people. In my mind democracy is really all about the powers that the people hold, and how accountable the government is to the people. The government is only there to help run the people, and should be held completely responsible to the democratic voting process.

Of course there are some expected procedures that are needed to make a democracy possible, which is completely different from things that can make a democracy feasible. These two ideas should not be confused with one another. Robert Daul offers up many things that are needed to make such a government body possible. He specifically mentions the need for the control over government officials being vested into those individual positions. He also brings up several other important parts of a working democracy including: elected officials should be chosen often in a free and fair manner, almost all adults should be able to vote, almost all adults could run for those same offices they vote on, and one of the most important in my sense of democracy is that people can express themselves without fear of repercussion or political upheaval, and their rights are protected.

These are just a few of Daul's ideas as to things that are needed to make a Democracy possible, but not necessarily feasible. Each separate idea independently does not make a democracy work, but all of them together can make it possible for a democracy to happen, but not always feasible for its guaranteed success.Overall, I feel that the article gives a very livable shape and form to the many different ideas of democracy that have been floating around for centuries. I strongly believe that the freedom of the masses and their ability to control government is the most unique and the most important aspect of democracy, and without that key piece all the others will eventually fade away and cease to work as well.

Freedom is first and foremost of importance, and with that freedom comes the freedom to vote and choose who you want to run your government, and then the freedom to change your government if you don't like the results you are getting.