Many people in the world have praised democracy for its advantages, particularly since people are given freedom, equal rights, and influence over the government. Yet many “democratic” governments fail to do those very things. Why is it that some countries, such as the United States, have been able to maintain such a government for centuries while others, including some which have explicitly copied the United States Constitution, have failed? This suggests that there are certain requirements within society for democracy to operate.

In order for democracy to work, its citizens and leaders respect the rights of others, including minorities. These include freedom of expression, religion, and assembly as well as the right to vote, equality under the law, and protection from arbitrary arrest and punishment. To protect those rights, people must not only assert their own rights, but respect those of others as well. This includes restricting their own rights and freedoms if exercising them run counter to another person’s rights and freedoms (i.e. crying, “Fire!” in a crowded theater if there is, in fact, no fire). These rights should apply to all people, women and minorities included. This may require that the government be structured in a certain way such that the majority cannot deprive these groups of their rights. This actually occurred while the United States was under the Articles of Confederation. During this time, the Pennsylvania state government was ruled by a unicameral legislature, which was able to disenfranchise the Quakers. Though the structure of the government was meant to be democratic, it still infringed upon the rights of a minority, which is decidedly undemocratic.

Democracies depend on the rule of law trumping the rule of the individual. Laws must apply to everyone equally regardless of their race, religion, sex, socioeconomic status, or position of power. In a democracy should be able to subvert the law or be punished arbitrarily. If a public official is caught committing a crime they must be held accountable just as much as the common person would. Likewise, someone who is against the government’s actions must not be punished if they simply have unpopular, unconventional, or unfavorable opinions regarding the government. Furthermore if the government is to serve the public interest, it must not allow itself to bow to the wills of leaders who overextend their power. It must not bow to corruption or to the will of a few influential groups.

The citizens in a democracy must participate in it for them to operate. They must be aware of current events and public issues, including the activity of elected officials. The population’s awareness of their leaders helps keep said leaders in check and acting in the interests of the people. For example, if the people know that their representative took bribes or passed a measure they didn’t like, they can easily refuse to withhold votes from him in the next election. This is part of the reason why the media and freedom of speech is so crucial to democracy. The people must vote to help make decisions and exercise their power as a whole. Other ways they can express their opinions is through campaigning for specific political parties, candidates, or causes. Groups like these also contribute to the people’s awareness of political issues. A lack of political activity from the people at large can inhibit democracy since then, less citizens will have influence over the country as a whole.

When elections are held, they must be conducted impartially and express only the wishes of the people. People must be able to vote secretly so that they cannot be bribed or coerced into voting a certain way. Bribery creates a conflict of interest and coercion interferes with the voters’ freedom of choice. Until this was made illegal in the United States, boss rule was very common in big cities, such as New York and Chicago, where leaders in the area would employ these tactics, often targeting the poor and recent immigrants. Once the people have voted, the votes must be judged on a neutral and impartial basis, and should not be altered once cast. “Rigging” the election in anyway conflicts directly with public interest. Unfortunately, influencing the election in this way has allowed political leaders to maintain power far longer than they would have otherwise, even to the point the leader tries to create a dynastic succession.

The people must also be willing to cooperate and compromise within the system. While individuals, interest groups, and the like have a right to be heard, they are not likely to accomplish everything they want to. Therefore, compromise is necessary, especially where there are many interest groups coexisting with one another. Furthermore, citizens maintain a certain openness towards other opinions, even if they do not agree with them. They must be able to hear others out, especially if a compromise can be made regarding the issue. To preserve the government, violence and force should not be used to achieve any group’s ends, even if the nation has fallen on hard times.

Lastly, the people must want democracy enough to maintain it. The livelihood of democracy is entirely dependent on the people’s willingness to accept and abide by it. Indeed, democracy has failed when the people reject or become indifferent to its existence in favor of other issues. For example, after World War I, Germany was beleaguered by the costs thrust upon it by the Treaty of Versailles, and it was one of the worst off nations after the Great Depression came shortly before the 1930’s. The new, more democratic government only took control after the Kaiser stepped down around the end of the war. Therefore, it had little trust of the people who felt betrayed by the harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles. The burdens were so terrible and the people so resentful of the Allies from the previous war that many were actually glad when Hitler took control, especially since he forced Germany to stimulate its economy.

Though some may endlessly praise democracy, we must remember that it has its limitations as well. Being aware of them helps us to understand it and its supporters to protect it.