Independent and professional judges are the foundation of a fair, impartial, and constitutionally guaranteed system of courts of law known as the judiciary. This independence does not imply judges can make decisions based on personal preferences but rather that they are free to make lawful decisions -- even if those decisions contradict the government or powerful parties involved in a case.
Thus democracies are usually filled with many voices expressing different or even contrary ideas and opinions. According to democratic theorists, a free and open debate will usually lead to the best option being considered and will be more likely to avoid serious mistakes. Democracy depends upon a literate, knowledgeable citizenry whose access to information
Education is a universal human right. It also is a means of achieving other human rights and it is an empowering social and economic tool. Through the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the world's nations have agreed that everyone has the right to education. Every society transmits its habits of mind, social norms, culture,
In a democracy, the struggle between political parties is not a fight for survival, but a competition to serve the people.
Free and fair elections allow people living in a representative democracy to determine the political makeup and future policy direction of their nation's government. Free and fair elections increase the likelihood of a peaceful transfer of power. They help to ensure that losing candidates will accept the validity of the election's results and cede
Government accountability means that public officials -- elected and un-elected -- have an obligation to explain their decisions and actions to the citizens. Government accountability is achieved through the use of a variety of mechanisms -- political, legal, and administrative -- designed to prevent corruption and ensure that public officials remain answerable and accessible to the people they serve. In the absence of such mechanisms, corruption may thrive.
On the surface, the principles of majority rule and the protection of individual and minority rights would seem contradictory. In fact, however, these principles are twin pillars holding up the very foundation of what we mean by democratic government.
