Classic and contemporary understandings of democracy

Abstract

This article considers classic and contemporary understandings of democracy, place and role of democracy in relation between man and power, but also a comparison of democracies with non-democratic alternatives, giving the reasons for its advantage over them. Democracy defines how to elect authorities, how to organize and perform governance and how to control and replace authorities by the citizens (people) for the citizens (people). Democracy is a form of governance elected representatives rule therein. That is not the rule of all and per everybody's wish, but the rule of the minority elected by the majority to govern and act in interest of all citizens, or at least majority of them. Democracy tends toward equal participation of all citizens following the 'one person-one vote' principle. Democracy needs active citizens and their largest possible inclusion in political (and public) life of the society, but voluntarily, not by force. Basic human rights from John Locke onwards are important for democracy: right to life, body, liberty and property, through freedoms of speech and expression and freedom of press, religious freedoms, freedom of assembly and association, right to equality before the law, right to fair investigation and trial. Democratic theory encompasses the question of what democracy is and what it should be, but it is also important to learn about practical experiences of how to elect and organize authorities and govern in diverse states and societies. Debates on democracy include both, having in mind social context and institutional framework. Democracy is one of the most optimal and most thorough forms of organizing political community at least for now and by now. In comparison with relatively homogenous population of citizens in poleis, city-states, united by common affection for their city, language, myths, gods - the structure of modern societies is more diverse: from local and regional loyalties, through ethnical and racial identities, religious, ideological and other differences, social statuses to system of values and lifestyles. With introduction of the political representation principle, neither the size of a country not the number of its inhabitants were obstacles anymore. Thus democracy became possible also for large states with large territory. Today's democracy is the national state democracy. Establishment of principles of political representation is most directly linked to the institution of parliament, i. e. elected peoples' representatives, as well as political parties that prepare and conduct that selection. The essence of democracy lays in participation and competition during election of political representatives, but also in their accountability before voters who elected them. Having in mind these notes, the issue of democracy in this context will be dealt with in correlation of competition, conflict and consensus. The advantages offered by the democracy make it more desirable than its alternatives. With all its advantages, it is incomparably better than non-democratic political forms. Among significant proofs of its general acceptance is the fact that individuals, groups, organizations and states today attempt to present them as much democratic as possible. .

U ovom tekstu se razmatraju klasična i savremena shvatanja demokratije, mesto i uloga demokratije u međuodnosu čoveka i vlasti, ali i poređenje demokratija sa nedemokratskim alternativama, pri čemu se navode razlozi za njenu prednost u odnosu na njih. Demokratija određuje kako se bira vlast, kako se organizuje i vrši vlast i kako se kontroliše i smenjuje vlast od strane građana (naroda) za građane (narod). Demokratija je forma vladavine u kojoj vladaju izabrani predstavnici. To nije vladavina svih i po želji svih, već vladavina manjine izabrane od većine da vlada i deluje u interesu svih građana, ili bar većine. Demokratija teži jednakoj participaciji svih građana po principu 'jedan čovek - jedan glas'. Demokratiji su potrebni aktivni građani i što veća njihova uključenost (inclusion) u političkom (i javnom) životu društva, ali dobrovoljno, a ne prisilom. Za demokratiju su važna osnovna ljudska prava od Džona Loka naovamo; pravo na život, telo, slobodu i imovinu, preko slobode govora i izražavanja i slobode štampe, verske slobode, sloboda okupljanja i udruživanja, prava jednake zaštite pred zakonom, prava fer sudskog procesa i suđenja. Demokratska teorija obuhvata pitanje šta demokratija jeste i šta bi trebalo da bude, ali je važno znati i praktična iskustva - kako se bira i organizuje vlast i vlada u različitim državama i društvima. Debate o demokratiji obuhvataju i jedno i drugo, imajući u vidu socijalni kontekst i institucionalni okvir. Demokratija je jedan od najoptimalnijih i najosmišljenijih načina organizovanja političke zajednice, bar za sada i do sada. U odnosu na relativno homogenu populaciju građana u polisu, gradu-državi, ujedinjenih zajedničkom privrženošću gradu, jeziku, mitovima, bogovima, struktura modernih društava je raznovrsnija; od lokalnih i regionalnih lojalnosti, preko etničkih i rasnih identiteta, religijskih, ideoloških i drugih razlika, socijalnih statusa do sistema vrednosti i stilova života. Uvođenjem principa političke reprezentacije (predstavništva), ni veličina zemlje, ni broj stanovnika nisu više predstavljali prepreku. Time je demokratija učinjena mogućom i za velike države sa velikom teritorijom. Današnja demokratija je demokratija nacionalne države. Uspostavljanje principa političke reprezentacije, najneposrednije je vezano za instituciju parlamenta, odnosno izabranih narodnih predstavnika, kao i političkih partija koje pripremaju i sprovode taj izbor. Suština demokratije krije se u participaciji, kompeticiji i konkurenciji prilikom izbora političkih predstavnika, ali i u njihovoj odgovornosti pred onima koji su ih izabrali. Imajući u vidu ove napomene, pitanjem demokratije u ovom kontekstu bavićemo se u korelaciji kompeticije, konflikta i konsenzusa. Prednosti koje demokratija pruža čine je poželjnijom od njenih alternativa. Sa svim njenim prednostima, ona je neuporedivo bolja od nedemokratskih političkih oblika. Jedna od značajnih potvrda njene opšteprihvaćenosti jeste i činjenica da danas pojedinci, grupe, organizacije i države nastoje da se predstave što demokratskijim. .