DEMOCRACY

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Welcome to class! 

In today’s class, we will be talking about democracy. Enjoy the class!

Democracy

The word democracy is derived from the Greek words “demos” meaning people and “kratia” which means authority or rule. Therefore, democracy may be said to be the rule or authority of the people. However, the widely used definition of the term democracy was propounded by a former President of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln saying, “Government of the people, by the people, for the people”. It is the type of government where all adult citizens have equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Democracy is a form of government where the people have and exercise the supreme power directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving free and fair elections held at specific dates by the electoral body in the country.

Types of democracy

There are two types of democracy. These are:

• Direct Democracy
• Indirect Democracy or Representative Democracy

Direct democracy

Direct democracy places all power in the hands of the individual. When political decisions must be made, all members of a polity gather together and individuals cast a vote. In theory, this sounds like the ideal form of government. There are no intermediaries. Each person is treated as an equal, and each person is given a chance to directly influence the policymaking process.

Indirect/representative democracy

Representative democracy is a form of government whereby eligible citizens elect their leaders through periodic election to represent them at all levels of government for a fixed tenure.

This is a political arrangement that establishes an intermediary political actor between the individual and the policy outputs of the state. In other words, representative democracy is a process in which the people through election elect those who will represent or govern the state on their behalf for a fixed period. Through the electoral process, one person or a group of people are elected and assigned with the task of making decisions on behalf of the group of citizens that they represent.

In the Nigeria, we have multiple intermediaries. Each state has three representatives in the upper house or Senate. In the lower house or House of Representatives, each of the states has 10 representatives. It is important to note that while the power of the individual is diminished slightly, political representatives are still beholden to the group that they represent, also known as their “constituency”.

Features of representative democracy

1. Respect for Minority rights
2. The supremacy of the constitution
3. Existence of fundamental human rights
4. Periodic election
5. Free and fair election
6. Existence of political parties
7. Majority rule/Popular sovereignty
8. Party system
9. Presence of opposition
10. Separation of powers between the arms and levels of government
11. Freedom of association and groups
12. Equal political rights
13. Universal Adult Suffrage
14. Citizenship participation
15. Up to date electoral register
16. Political Awareness/ Political Education
17. Independent Electoral body
18. Independence of the judiciary
19. Rule of law
20. Free Press/Mass media
21. Transparency and accountability
22. Informed electorate
23. Effective popular participation
24. Divergent partisan ideology
25. Consensus building
26. Popular consultation
27. Constitutional government

Reasons for the Adoption of Representative Democracy in Nigeria

1. Large electorate size due to high population.
2. Complex state structure of the Nigerian government.
3. Large territorial size of the country.
4. Greater political participation.
5. The complexity of many political issues.
6. Desire to protect the interest of the minorities/ethnic diversities.
7. Safeguarding the fundamental human rights of the citizens.
8. Promotion of accountability.
9. To give voice to the opposition for good governance.
10. To conform to the international trend in modern governance/popularity of democracy.
11. Expanding the scope of modern government for the welfare of citizens.
12. To maintain international relations with other democratic countries.
13. To ensure stability and peaceful transition of government.

Advantages/merits of democracy

1. Democracy promotes the rule of law and constitutionalism.
2. It facilitates the effective participation of citizens in governance.
3. It encourages checks and balances resulting from the separation of powers which enhances cooperation, collaboration and partnership in governance.
4. Democracy guarantees periodic election to ensure a smooth transition of government.
5. It promotes a political culture which makes the people favourably dispose towards nation-building.
6. It allows constructive criticism of government policies which checks abuse of power thereby promoting good governance and national development.
7. Democracy promotes transparency and accountability.
8. It encourages loyalty to the state since the people/citizens see themselves as part of the democratic process.
9. The people have freedom of choice in the election of those that will represent them in government.
10. It brings about legitimacy, that is legal and constitutional powers conferred on the leader.
11. It ensures equity, justice and fair play.

Demerit of democracy

1. An elected representative at times forgets their people when in the position of power and authority.
2. The interests of the masses are sometimes forgotten.
3. It gives the fate of the masses to only a few people.
4. Minorities at times never have a say in the polity and matters that affect them since only a few elected people make decisions.
5. It is too expensive or costly to run.
6. It is characterized by selfish interest.
7. Representative democracy is prone to corruption.
8. Duplication of functions
9. The rigging of an election.
10. Illiteracy

Factors that retard the growth of democracy in Nigeria

1. Electoral Malpractices
2. Lack of proper political education
3. High level of illiteracy/ignorance
4. The high cost of running a democracy
5. Bribery and corruption
6. Elections based on sentiments/ethnicity/tribalism/religion
7. Sit-tight syndrome/tenure elongation
8. Lack of respect for a popular will by politicians
9. Biased electoral umpire
10. Military intervention in politics
11. Political apathy
12. Monetization of politics
13. Lack of internal democracy among political parties
14. Dictatorial influence of political godfathers/party leaders
15. The proliferation of political parties
16. Inadequate democratic political culture
17. Bad governance/unfulfilled electoral promises
18. Militancy/Political thuggery/violence
19. Poverty
20. Erosion of judicial independence
21. Erosion of press freedom
22. Political instability/breakdown of law and order

Democratic institutions and their functions

For democracy to function effectively in a country, certain institutions must be in place. Some of the institutions are as follows:

1. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
2. Political parties
3. Pressure groups
4. Arms of government

The Independent National Electoral Commission

INEC is the electoral body that is saddled with the responsibility of conducting elections in Nigeria.

The body has a chairman as its head who is nominated by the President, and the nominee is approved by the national assembly. Apart from the chairman of INEC, other important officers in INEC are the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), who are the heads of INEC in the various states. INEC not only conducts elections but also monitors the activities of the political parties and divides the country into constituencies for administrative convenience.

Functions of INEC

1. Division of states into constituencies
2. Provision of electoral materials
3. Registration of political parties
4. Registration of voters
5. Education of voters
6. Screening of candidates

Political Parties

Another democratic institution is the political party. Political parties are the registered bodies of people who share a common political interest. They are organised, based on shared ideologies, with the primary aim of gaining political powers.

Functions of political parties

1. Conduct of primary elections
2. Mobilisation of members into the parties
3. Mobilisation of people for elections
4. Political Campaign
5. Education of the electorate
6. Guiding party members in government
7. Criticizing government

Pressure Groups

Pressure groups are non-political organisations or associations that have interests in the day-to-day governance of a country. They are groups who do not have political interests but come together with the common interest of influencing government policies to satisfy their aims and objectives. These groups fight for the interest of their members. Examples of these groups in Nigeria are the National Trade Union (NTU), National Union of Teachers (NUT), Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and so on.

Functions of pressure groups

1. Influencing government decisions
2. Links between the government and their members
3. The offering of constructive suggestions
4. Educating members
5. Fighting for the interest of their members
6. Provision of welfare services

Arms of government and their roles in entrenching democracy

1. Legislative Arm of Government:

The legislative arm makes law for the nation. It is an important arm of government that legislates into the electoral law.

2. Executive Arm of Government

The executive arm of government funds elections. They ensure peaceful conduct of elections by providing the necessary security. They also fund political parties. The executive arm appoints the chairman of INEC and the Resident Electoral Officers.

3. Judiciary Arm of Government:

This arm of government interprets the electoral laws made by the legislative body. They look through the electoral laws and correct the areas that contradict the constitution and listen to all electoral cases in the country. They are the last resort, which citizens run to whenever their political rights are infringed upon.

 

In our next class, we will be talking about the Rule of Law.  We hope you enjoyed the class.

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