Core Concepts and Rules of Democratic Systems

Key Definitions in Democracy

• Democracy: A political system where state power originates from the people, who often wield that power through their representatives. The word democracy comes from the Greek Demokratia, meaning "people power".
• Sovereignty: The highest political power of the state, to which all other powers are subordinated.
• Government: The leading agency of political power in democracies. According to the division of powers, it assumes executive power.
• People's Will: The collective political will of citizens expressed together.

Majority Rule in Democracy

Democracy involves the political power of the people, expressing their collective will through voting. The options chosen by the majority in these votes must, in principle, be accepted by all members of the group, whether they are students in a school or all citizens of a nation.

Core Principles of Democracy

1. The renunciation of imposing one's own views and interests on others by force: democracy excludes the use of violence to resolve disputes between citizens.
2. Tolerance: An attitude of acceptance toward those with beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, and interests different from one's own; tolerance towards those who are and think differently from us.
3. The willingness to negotiate as broadly as possible with those holding different views and interests. This requires valuing the common interest above individual interest.

Rules of Democratic Conduct

1. The first rule is to respect the law.
2. The second rule is to respect the rights of minorities (groups recognized within a democracy that hold minority opinions or exhibit minority behaviors).
3. The third rule is respect for human rights (the basic rights that every human being possesses simply by virtue of being human).

Mechanisms of Democracy

• Universal Suffrage: The right of all citizens to participate by voting in certain political decisions and in the election of those who wield political power.

Division of State Powers

1. The Executive Branch: This is the Government, responsible for making decisions.
2. The Legislative Branch: This body (e.g., Parliament, Congress) makes the laws.
3. The Judicial Branch: This consists of judges who interpret and apply the laws.