Topic > British Values: Democracy and Rule of Law

People can choose their own rulers by voting for them in elections, this is a system of government that forms a democracy. Democracy is a term used to describe the citizens of a country who play a vital role in how their country is governed by electing representatives to form a government. If dissatisfied with their government, they can choose to elect other representatives by voting, thus creating a democracy that gives citizens a voice. The word itself comes from a Greek background meaning people (demos) and government (kratos). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The ancient Athenian Greek leader, Cleisthenes, called democracy "government by the people" and the Greek system of direct democracy was the first known democracy in the world and although it only lasted two centuries, it has still given way to representative democracies around the world. Mahatma Ghandi campaigned for several decades to liberate India from the British Empire and successfully won India's right to self-government in 1947, signaling the end of the British Empire and also Martin Luther King, leader of the campaign to civil rights. for the civil rights of blacks in the United States, where many blacks were treated as second-class citizens and were for a long time deprived of basic democratic rights, the campaigns and movements of the 1960s led by Martin Luther King, improved the access to voting for black people and others in society. In the UK there are different types of organizations that demonstrate democracy, such as sports clubs, social clubs and community centers where members can discuss and vote on important issues within the organisation, such as how they are funded, administered and protected. The United Kingdom has a representative democratic system called “liberal democracy” where people vote for the government through elections choosing their own candidate to represent them and make important decisions on their behalf, the elected government then comes to power and is responsible for its decisions. This form of democracy is somewhat different from direct democracy which allows people to make decisions about how a country should be run individually, i.e. by referendum on everything. The UK uses referendums, but not as much as other countries, and while Conservative governments have not generally encouraged referendums here, in 2014 the referendum on Scottish independence was granted and in 2015 the Conservative Party Manifesto pledged to hold a referendum on the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union. In terms of general elections, the UK uses a majoritarian system, however it is argued that this system does not produce true voter representation, it could easily be argued that there are no 'perfect democracies' however it could be argued more seriously that some societies are more democratic than others. The rule of law ensures that countries are governed by law (as opposed to the idea of ​​arbitrary decisions being made by individual government officials) and that the law applies to everyone and that no one is above or below the law. Government ministers must act in accordance with the law when making important decisions regarding legislation, and laws must also be transparent in the process and accessible to allow people to change their behaviour, for example the national speed limit. Courts can then administer the law and pass judgment on a case while ensuring the correct application of the law and respect for the rule of law..