14 Principles of Democrcy

Democratic societies are politically tolerant. This means that while the majority of the people rule in a democracy, the rights of minorities must be protected.

• Rule of Law

• Human Rights

• Political Tolerance

• Transparency

In a democracy all individuals are valued equally, have equal opportunities, and may not be discriminated against because of their race, religion, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. Individuals and groups maintain their rights to have different cultures, personalities, languages, and beliefs.

• Equality

• Accountability

• Liberty

• Justice

In a democracy, elected and appointed officials are responsible for their actions and have to be accountable to the people. Officials must make decisions and perform their duties according to the will and wishes of the people they represent, not for themselves or their friends.

• Responsibility

• Equality

• Accountability

• Transparency

In democracies, courts and the judicial system are impartial. Judges and the judiciary branch must be free to act without influence or control from the executive and legislative branches of government.

• Independent Judiciaries

• Rule of Law

• Transparency

• Judicial Equality

In a democracy, no one is above the law—not even a king, elected president, police officer, or member of the military. Everyone must obey the law and will be held accountable if they violate it.

• Bill of RIghts

• Political Tolerance

• Transparency

• Rule of Law

All democracies strive to value human life and dignity and to respect and protect the human rights of citizens.

• Economic Freedom

• Equality

• Civil Rights

• Human Rights

One of the most common abuses of power is corruption, which occurs when government officials use public funds for their own benefit or they exercise power in an illegal way. To protect against these abuses, democratic governments are often structured to limit the powers of government offices and the people who work for them.

• Control of the Abuse of Power

• Free and Fair Elections

• Political Tolerance

• Transparency

In elections there are winners and losers. Occasionally, the losers believe so strongly that their party or candidate is the best that they refuse to accept that they lost an election. Assuming an election has been judged "free and fair," ignoring or rejecting election results violates democratic principles.

• Citizen Participation

• Control and the Abuse of Power

• Accepting the Results of an Election

• Free and Fair elections

People in a democracy must have some form of economic freedom. This means that the government allows some private ownership of property and businesses. People are allowed to choose their own work and to join labor unions.

• Economic Freedom

• Control of the Abuse of Power

• Citizen Paticipation

• Human Rights

For government to be accountable, the people must be aware of the actions their government is taking. A transparent government holds public meetings and allows citizens to attend. In a democracy the press and the people are able to get information about what decisions are being made, by whom, and why.

• Accountability

• Transparency

• Equality

• Political Tolerance