Many people know that the United States is a democracy, however many don’t know what it is. Democracy is a form of government where power comes from the people and decisions are made by voting or elected representatives. In this government the will of the people should be shown in every decision made. Within democracy there are four main parts: Equality of all persons, majority rule/minority rights, compromise, and individual freedom.

Equality of all persons states that people have equal rights and are treated equally by the law. Everyone has the same opportunity as there neighbor. This is important because it helps correctly represent every person in the government. This does not mean that someone can do nothing all there life and expect to get the same opportunities as someone who has worked diligently.

Majority rule/minority rights is when the popular decisions wins, but not at the expense of the rights of the minority. This way everyone is appeased, and the minority party doesn’t lose out on having a say in things. This ensures that one demographic is not over represented, and others are put in as well.

Compromising occurs in every day life. One person may want to do something a certain way while the other has their own thought of how something should be. With compromising, people with differing views come together to create solutions that include both people’s ideas. This (partially) pleases each group because their wants are included.

Their have been many movements for individual freedom. Everyone wants to be able to be themselves and express themselves freely. With individual freedom people are free to make their own personal choices…until they violate someone else’s rights. For example: If someone is swinging their arms wildly around the halls at school, they have the total right to do so. However, this right stops once that person hits someone straight in the face and violates their rights. This provides a stable way to promote self expression within limits.

People today need to be more educated on the ways that democracy works and what privileges it provides. The public needs to be more weary that their vote counts and should take time to educate themselves to the fullest before making a random vote that they don’t even know what’s for. Democracy is a great form of government when properly used.