The Power Of The People

Taking into cognizance the evolution of mankind, and the different stages of government that the human race has come up with which actually promotes the concept of equality among mankind to a certain extent, the democratic form of government is the only one that actually sticks.

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Image is mine...

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As the popular scholar, Abraham Lincoln, posits, democracy is a government of the people which means that democracy as a form of government is done through popular participation involving each and every adult member of the nation. Before democracy came to be, there were other forms of government that were widely practiced but those forms of government collapsed as a result of the inherent marginalization and segregation of a particular amount of the population. Take OLIGARCHY, for example, which is a government where only a few rule the masses, which is also the umbrella term for several forms of government that only prioritizes government being in the hands of few elites who rule without consulting their subjects, leading to extreme marginalization and high rise of inequality.

As the world evolved and the taste for freedom grew, those that were segregated and marginalized chose to rise up in what is today known as revolution which led to the ultimate collapse of such selfish forms of government and as the world became more modernized, it was observed that government in action is best enjoyed when the people are carried along and are actually active in the running of their country's affairs.

Historically, democracy has its origin story in Greece, Athens where its earliest form, direct democracy, was practiced which typically involved all the citizens being directly involved in the democratic activities of the state. But due to the nature of the increasing population, it became important for representative democracy to become the order of the day of which it is now in the world today.

So far, the democratic form of government has proven to be the longest standing form of government because of its nature which also happens to be one of its core tenets, REPRESENTATION. Democracy came about as a way for minority groups which can be easily ignored and forgotten by majority groups in the quest for power to be duly represented and recognized by all which will ensure a balance of power and resources, leading to a peaceful life. Asides a few exceptions, most of the hundred plus countries in the world today actively practice democracy and even in the relationships among different countries of the world in the international scene which has so far proven to be the best form of government for mankind so far.

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MY THOUGHTS:

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I believe that democracy is actually the better government for the people especially when it comes to proper representation, recognition at the federal level and most especially in the allocation of resources. Without the practice of democracy, there will likely be a government whereby everything is dictated to the citizens and the citizens are marginalized and there's little to no freedom for political participation. Power is kept fiercely in the hands of the few who do all in their power to make sure that the power does not go elsewhere.

Without the practice of democracy, there will not be the recognition of human rights and there is likely to be heavy infringement of the rights of individuals without something like a constitution that will serve as a guiding principle for both the rulers and the ruled. Democracy has helped to elevate the standards of the masses, people or minority groups that were deemed ordinary or small before democracy came to be now have the opportunity to rise to fame and get popular support from the entire nation and we see that play out every day all around us.

Democracy ensures the equal sharing of power so that power is not concentrated in a particular place or office and the people actually get to choose who gets into power to represent them, what exactly they want from those representing them and if their needs are not met the people have the freedom and right to clamour for their removal.

This has encouraged growth and stability and the peaceful coexistence of people from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds as seen in many plural societies with Nigeria as a leading example. Without democracy ensuring free and fair elections, diplomatic and smooth transfer of power, fixed tenure of offices and popular participation, governance today would have been a classic case of survival of the fittest and we all know how violent such a scenario can be.

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Image is mine..

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Though democracy has all these wonderful benefits, it doesn't mean that it doesn't come with its own problems. In Africa where democracy is widely practiced and accepted, the major problem faced is corruption and the lukewarm nature of the people in tackling the corrupt practices of those in power.

These days, it seems like the masses have forgotten that the real power actually resides with them and not really with those at the helm of government and that the people have the power to make sure that there is equality and less corruption in the nation. This lukewarm attitude of the majority of the masses and even many of them actively participating in propagating corruption for their personal gain has only led to the deterioration of government which is what we see in play today. Leaders get into power and choose to do however they like by manipulating the people and even sometimes outrightly ignoring the dictates of the constitution and allowing practices that do not align with the main purpose of democracy.

Democracy being the better form of government will only be best effective when the people who are really in charge realize the amount of power that they have and choose to move as a force to ensure that their best interests and the general interests of the country as a whole is being met and not ignored which will ultimately lead to better lives and peaceful coexistence among the people.

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