Democracy is defined as the system of government by which a people or community elects its rulers. This popular election also indicates that any citizen who meets a series of minimum requirements can aspire to occupy some public level position. One of the most important principles of democracy is that from time to time the leaders of the state must be replaced by new candidates to avoid the accumulation of power.
The origin
The word democracy comes from the union of Greek words: «demos», which translated means people and «kratos» which means government, so when putting both words together they refer to the people’s government. And it was precisely in ancient Greece that the democratic system was born, on the acropolis of Athens between the 7th and 4th centuries B.C.
The highest organization within Athens was the Assembly and was made up of all the citizens of the polis, with the exception of women and slaves, who were prohibited from exercising this right. Between 620 and 593 BC, Athens received from Dracón and Solón their first fundamental laws. This would be the fact that gave rise to an evolution that would culminate in democracy.
Historical evolution
From ancient Rome, various characteristics of democracy were already recognized, in the same way, it happened with the first civilizations of Ancient India. Consequently, this type of government spread to the North American nations, and by the time the 16th and 17th centuries arrived, the Republic of the Two Nations, now known as Poland and Lithuania, became the first officially democratic country in world history.
In the eighteenth and fifteenth centuries, some social movements were already identified as «democracy» and political parties were elected by popular vote. However, the rights of the proletarian social classes were different.
Despite the growth of these democratic political movements, it was not until the beginning of the previous century that universal suffrage was given for the first time. Likewise, the decolonization of cities was achieved and the civil rights movement began in the United States and France. Several dictatorships around the world are eradicated and international acts for the democratic practice of nations begin.