DEMOCRACY IS A CULTURE RATHER THAN A PROCESS

Essays

1. Democracy: Meaning and History

2. Democracy, explained as a culture

3. Democracy, explained as a process

4. Essentials of democratic Culture

a. Equality

b. Educating people

c. Freedom

d. Liberty

e. Rule of law

5. Comparison of democracies around the world – what makes Westernized democracies

successful

a. Westernized democracies – A culture rather than a process

b. Analysis of Arab Spring – Fledgling democracies

c. Turkey – flouting democratic norms

d. South Asian Democracies – more a process than a culture

6. Conclusion

Democracy is about equality: one man—one vote. Democracy is about empowerment: empowering the
masses to choose their own representatives. It is about accountability, forging consensus, conciliation
and discussion. But more than anything else, democracy is about freedom: freedom of expression,
thought, liberty and equitable justice. All these norms formulate the system of democracy. It is not
simply about elections and electoral processes and voting procedures. To quote Abraham Lincoln:
Democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people.

Democracy is essentially an Eastern concept – with the recent researches that have revealed
Mesopotamia as the birth place for democracy where individuals collectively made important decisions,
often referred to as ‘primitive democracy’. However, the popularly held belief is that Greece and Athens
are the places where democracy evolved as an institutional framework. Differences as it might be with
regards to its ancient democracy, there is indeed a consensus on the evolution of modern form of
democracy. Glorious revolution in Great Britain paved the way for modern democracy laden with the
systems of cabinet, ‘rule of law’, equality of rights and social justice. Whilst everything is being said with
reference to its western posture, it’s pertinent to mention that democracy if considered as a system of
consensus was the part and parcel of Islamic history and culture.

Democracy, when acclaimed as a culture means that it is rooted deep in a society. Democratic norms of
justice, equality, liberty and freedom are embedded in the social strata of any society. It treats
everybody fairly and in accordance with the law. It is not merely a system of electoral process where
people select their representatives and cast votes. It’s rather a complete social and economic structure
that a nation adopts, that becomes enshrined in their cultural, social and moral behavior.

And democracy as process means periodic elections, occurring every four or five years, or as a mid-term
or a snap election, that amounts to giving an opportunity to the masses to elect their own leaders. It
serves to stabilize the system. It generates continuity and accountability. The system and all its inherent
institutions are strengthened if this process is adhered to in its letter and spirit.

A democratic society is espoused by the feelings of equality. An equal opportunity to vote, irrespective
of one’s wealth, social status, cast, color or creed, materializes itself in the provision of equal
opportunity to every section of society. Noting that every vote counts in a contest, it leads to the
establishment of a just and equal society. A contender cannot rely solely on a particular class or a group.
In the present era when the world is mutating fast in disparate socio-economic layers, it has become all
the more essential to cater for the needs of those who lie at the bottom of the rungs, to make them feel
an equal part of the society.

Democratic culture is meaningless, if it not imbibes educating the masses. The flower of democracy
blossoms only when it is provided with the fertilizer of education. Probably, it was the only reason that
universal suffrage was introduced in the English democracy, in the early 20th century, only after the
system of free secondary education had flourished and systemized in their society. An uneducated man
is less likely to be hoodwinked by unscrupulous politicians. He brings his intellectual ability come to play
and thinks beyond his self or community interests. Similarly, a glimpse around the globe will reveal that
educated societies are more stable and harmonious with this system, while the ones with low literacy
rates, as that of ours, suffer from sporadic tides of military rules. Thus, it could be said beyond doubt
that a democratic society is basically an educative society and a democratic culture is primarily a culture
of education. And it is probably the reason that democracies around the globe and that of ours too, are
focusing heavily to impart free, equality education to every child in its sphere.

Democratic culture is not consigned to providing education to peoples alone. Democracy in fact,
champions the cause of rule of law, individual and collective freedom, liberty and provision of
fundamental rights.

Democracy is a culture of justice. A society that adheres to rule of law makes no distinction amongst its
rich or poor, weak or powerful. Everyone stands equally before law. Only a just society can claim itself of
democratic. Thus we see examples in history when Richard Nixon, the American president resigned on
the espionage charges in the Watergate scandal when the matter was brought before the courts. And in
the recent times, we see one of our PM signed off from the office for not accepting the rulings of the
court. These varied examples indicate but nothing that the culture of justice is embedded deep in the
structure of democracy.

Impartial justice doesn’t mean that one doesn’t enjoy individual and collective freedom in a democratic
society. In fact, freedom forms the bedrock of democracy. Freedom of speech where one can criticize
the misdemeanors of the ruling government, freedom of media to act as a watchdog of the
governments’ policies and freedom to form a political union to present the interests of a community,
class or an association. Unlike communism which doesn’t appreciate the individual freedom or struggle,
democracy is the form of government that vies for the culture of freedom in a society.

Moreover, democracy is about patience and accepting divergent views. True democratic spirit booms
only by considering various points of views. Suppressing valid arguments just because they don’t
conform to ones ideals and principles don’t find any place in this form of government. How often we
have seen that opposition and treasury benches come together in the face of a pressing crisis when it
hits the country. Personal and individual interests are subsided in face of national interests. Opposition
apart, they tend to work with mutual co-operation to steer the country out of a mess whenever the
need arises. A culture of mutual understanding and peaceful demonstration is a key aspect of a
functional democracy.

Many other noble values, like protection of one’s rights, socio-economic justice, and acceptance to
plurality form the culture of democracy. All these norms don’t come into life by merely holding elections
on regular terms. Balloting, casting votes, choosing representatives, formation of election commission,
and everything that forms the process of democratic government doesn’t ensure the implantation of
just, equitable democratic system. These values that actually constitute a democratic system come after
deep struggles and hard fought battles.

What makes England a successful democracy owes less to the process and more to the lesson that was
learnt by people after the ruthless rule of kings and monarchs. The freedom craving nation of England
couldn’t stand authoritarianism anymore. Thus when democracy presented to them that alternative way
where they themselves would be able to guard their freedom and preserve their fundamental rights and
liberties, they assembled around it. Thus, democracy was born from within the society not something
that was imposed upon them by some mystics.

As the political ideas care no boundaries, this system inspired the other European countries, a spillover
effect. People in Europe were fed up with the discretionary powers of the kings and they craved for an
opportunity to dismantle the crown. Democracy provided them with the opportunity to make or break a
ruler, which they gracefully accepted.

Since then, centuries ago, people themselves in Europe have become the guardians of their rights.
Recently, Arab Spring provided the same opportunity to the Arab world to become custodians of their
own rights and protect their own freedoms and liberties. But they couldn’t make good use of it. Except
Tunisia where democratic norms are seemed to be adhered to, rest all the states resorted to the same
dictatorial culture of the preceding dictators that they replaced.

Islamist parties gained the ground in almost all fledgling democracies after the fall of dictators, one after
the other. Instead of focusing primarily to alleviate the people from economic disparities that they had
suffered in the previous regimes, Islamists vehemently pursued the cause of Islamizing the state and
constitution. Again, people suffered from the same curtailment of freedom and now they are out again
to topple the democratic autocrat governments.

All these states seemed too had forgotten that democracy fundamentally means ‘the will of the people.’
The will of the people demanded elimination of income disparities, freedom of expression and
protection of rights. But the government looked the other way, carrying on with its own agenda, turning
a blind eye to the demands of the masses.

This phenomenon is not limited to the Arab-world alone. Recently Turkey is a case in point. Its leaders
have resorted to the same viciousness. First they tried to crush the peaceful demonstration when it
mounted in early last year. Then, recently, it has tried to obstruct the corruption probe that has come to
defame the government. The point is, democracy as a culture, allows for peaceful demonstrations and
impartial probes for accountability. Democracy is not the will of the head of the state, it is rather an
authority that must be exercised responsibly, and within the norms that it reflects. This is where
democracy differs from arbitrary rule.

In our part of the world i.e. south Asian region, democracy is still in its nascent stages, except of course
India. Here in Pakistan, democracy has recently started to develop its roots. But, it still has a long way to
go. Democratic systems have started to establish themselves, but democratic norms and culture still
have to find its place here. Dynastic rule, nepotism, impartiality in the allocation of resources and
blatant disregard to the rule of law are some of the chronic issues that democracy of today suffers from
within in Pakistan. Democratic process has provided an opportunity in this regard and it’s incumbent
upon the government to capitalize upon it and help in fostering true democratic culture in our society
that forms the bases of any democratic system.

Bangladesh is another country that where the ruling government has taken shelter of democracy to hide
its maliciousness. What’s the point in an election when it’s been boycotted by 18 opposition parties?
Conciliatory norm of democratic culture was desired under this festering crisis. Elections soaked in
blood, violence and absence of opposition could hardly be a part of a democratic culture. The process
has been completed, elections and ballots have been held, but democracy has lost. Advertently, the
country’s economy is bound to hit a snag in the coming days and months.

Quotes:

Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The
real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.

John F. Kennedy

“What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad
destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or in the holy name of liberty or democracy?”

― Mahatma Gandhi

Toward Democracy: The Struggle for Self-Rule in European and American Thought
by James T. Kloppenberg

Oxford University Press, 2016, 912 pp.

A Revolution in Color: The World of John Singleton Copley

by Jane Kamensky

W.W. Norton, 2017, 544 pp.

We have long known that creating democracy is more than a matter of installing the right political
plumbing. Constitutions and voting systems may be democracy’s necessary conditions, but they alone
are insufficient. Political machinery, no matter how carefully crafted, depends upon shared behaviors
and habits of mind—what historians and political scientists often call “political culture.”

The term first came to prominence around 1963, when political scientists Gabriel Almond and Sidney
Verba published a study that used the relatively new tool of opinion surveys to identify attitudes about
power and the state held by citizens of five democratic nations. The survey data, they claimed, revealed
the existence of distinct national “political cultures” that favored or inhibited the establishment of
enduring representative governments. They argued that the “civic culture”—an essentially Anglo-
American political culture that blended a habit of deliberation with respect for the state—offered the
best chance for creating stable democratic politics.

Political culture proved to be an attractive and protean idea. Almond and Verba’s work clothed an old
argument about the cultural basis of politics in a mantle of cutting-edge scholarly rigor. Historians were
quick to embrace the possibilities that this offered. Mainstream scholars of the American Revolution, in
particular, saw a way for political history to assimilate compelling new work on revolutionary culture
and society emerging from scholars on the left: studies of mariners and crowds in revolutionary politics,
new histories of political action by the enslaved and disenfranchised. When women’s history appeared
in the 1970s, it too found a logical place within this paradigm.

Democracy is a Culture rather than a Process

November 5, 2015 Mairaj Ul Hamid Articles 0 Comments

In a purely democratic country the definition of democracy coined by Abraham Lincoln, as Democracy is
“a government of the people, by the people and for the people,” fits, but those who pretend to be
democratic states should be fitted to the definition of democracy as “government off the people, buy
the people and far the people”. Although, attaining of pure democracy is still a nightmare for the stable
and robust democracies of the World.

The democratic process with in a country must not be dealt as a process that is revised every five or four
years, rather it’s a mind set and way of political life that should be cultured in the mind sets of the
citizens, governments, civil society and politicians.
Voting is the first step of the democratic process. In a society where democracy is prevailing as a culture,
there the process of electing their representatives does not end with the casting of vote to his/her
favorite candidate, rather, the voters have to be in constant touch with their respective representatives
till the end of their tenures for keeping them on the right track.

Developed sense of responsibility is a must in cultured democracies. The elected representatives of the
government of a democratic state should also bear the high sense of responsibility and be aware of their
responsibilities and should act accordingly. They have their deep insight over their constituencies and
localities. The voters have the responsibility of providing essential help and keeping their
representatives aware from the problems of their localities and constituencies.

Furthermore, the process of accountability of the representatives is also deemed in a democratic

society. Every candidate has to return to the public after completing their tenure and to address the
issues raised by the voters. This sense must be alive at every moment of the day with in the mind of the
representatives. The institution of Political Parties is also an integral part of democracies. More they are
accountable, more they will be stronger and more they will be democratic in nature. Intra party
elections are the pre-requisite for robust political parties, where real representatives of the common
people come to the screen. All the political leaders must be selected from among the spheres of the
voters and having deep knowledge of their localities particularly and the whole country in general.
Imported and non-local candidates are against the spirit of the deemed culture of democracy.

Tolerance; a characteristic of cultured politicians as well as democratically cultured societies, is the basic
foundation of viable and strong democracies. In today’s world it has got more importance due to
diversity of religions and ethnicities in societies. Democratically all the citizens have same political and
civil rights and duties and enjoy the same opportunities. A stable democratic government is always built
upon the principles of tolerance, interfaith harmony, and equality of all citizens. Here, it is worth
mentioning that citizens imply both the sexes, i.e. male and female. Both of them enjoy same status in
the eyes of law, political and civil rights and duties. Both have the same right of contesting elections,
compete for public offices and vote to their favorite candidate without any social or family pressure.

Freedom of Speech, Press and Media are the indicators of cultured democracy. All the citizens are free
to demonstrate their protests in a peaceful manner analyze and criticize the government and politicians
for their policies on solid grounds, given that the criticism must not violate the ethics law and order
situations, do not produce chaos and anarchy, and hurt the feelings of others. Media should highlight
the real issues of society and must show and appreciate the good decisions and policies of the
government. Every issue is raised at a proper platform and addressed by the concerned officials and
representatives. Media should act maturely and create awareness in the society and educate the people
on the contemporary policies and decisions of the government.
Right to information and access to equal opportunities when guaranteed to all citizens without
discrimination on the basis of race, language, religion, caste, creed or color, show that the society is
cultured in democratic principles. Every one bears self respect, dignity and citizenry rights which must
be kept in mind when addressing their concerned issues and problems.

Strong institutions, i.e. Parliament, Judiciary, Executive, law enforcement agencies and others, indicate
the level of stability of democratic governments. Separation of Power along with slight check and
balance, and sense of accountability of the said institutions to the real power holders, i.e. citizens, shows
the democratic culture of societies and governments.

Volunteering of the citizens for helping the government in solving the issues and problems along with
participating in elections before and on the Election Day is the testimony of deep rooted culture of
democracy. Another feature of the cultured democratic society is that the powers will be distributed
and allocated to the lower level. Presence of viable and operational Local bodies or Basic democracies
system is the beauty of democratic societies. Educationists and Students must also be seen involved in
the process of electioneering and creating awareness among the lay man regarding the fruits of strong
and viable democracies.

In short words, it can be stated that the fruits of democracy can be taken only when it is made as a part
of the culture of the society. Men or women, elders or children, literate or illiterate, slaves or freeman,
teacher or student, every one should be adapted to that culture of democratic process, so that we can
see the World free of any discrimination, marginalization, illiteracy, lawlessness meant for a World
ensuring peaceful coexistence.