Democracy = Stability??

Democracy is a form of government in which political sovereignty is retained by the citizens either through voting exercises or their elected representatives. This is a form of government that we can see in most developed countries. Democracy has brought about stability in many of today’s societies, with Singapore being one of them. This is largely due to the fact that citizens have their own rights to determine government policies, greatly reducing unrest caused by any unfair policies.

Democracy creates stability in a society because it allows the citizens to decide on what they want. In past governmental systems, there was great societal unrest due to the fact that citizens did not agree with what the governmental body thought was best for them. The government seldom listened to feedback by the population. Also, as there was no other way for the citizens to get their point across, they often resulted to riots and numerous campaigns. Past governmental systems also did not have to be answerable to the people. They could do whatever they deemed right. This led to numerous ‘petty’ wars , and unfair taxes on the people. All these problems caused great social unrest. However, with democracy, these problems are solved. A democratic state has to listen to the opinions of their people. They cannot do something that the people do not agree upon. As can be seen, democracy creates stability in a society as it solves many problems that other governmental systems have.

Though democracy may solve the problems of other governmental systems, it has its own flaws. Democracy requires a good government to implement. If not handled properly, this will cause problems in the representation of the minority. Just take the example of the US in the past. Blacks and women were not allowed to vote. This would make it unfair if they decided to pass a bill ruling about blacks. Also, democracy may just be a popularity vote. The citizens, believing that a representative will be a good one because of all the promises he makes, votes him into the government. However, he does not deliver. Also, democracy causes a society to become much more slow paced. In Switzerland, out of the 240 initiatives, only 10% were accepted by the public. This constant need for referendum will result in lost time in implementing better laws. This will result in an instability in a country as the minority may be displeased, and if only a popular candidate gets voted in, he will not be able to fulfill his promises.

In conclusion, I feel that democracy does also has its faults. However, these faults can be overlooked due to the numerous benefits our society can gain from it. I suppose that is why democracy is the most popular form of governance in developed societies nowadays!