Democracy is the best known form of governance

Judges please note: This round is exclusively for arguments, no rebuttals should be made in this round. I will in the following paragraphs try to uphold the resolution that though democracy has its flaws, it still is better than all the other forms of government that have been tried. As democracy is wide ranging and a comprehensive subject, I will try to make my argument concise and simple. Democracy is a form of government in which all eligible citizens participate equally—either directly or indirectly through elected representatives—in the proposal, development, and creation of laws. It encompasses social, religious, cultural, ethnic and racial equality, justice, and liberty. The term originates from the Greek δημοκρατ^3;α (dēmokratía) "rule of the people",[1] Etymology The word democracy’s genesis lies in a merger of two latin words that are (dêmos) which stands for "people" and (kratos) which stands for "power" or "rule; and is antonym to (aristokratia) "rule of an elite" [2] Sources: [1] δημοκρατ^3;α in Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, "A Greek-English Lexicon", at Perseus Wilson, N. G. [2](2006). Encyclopedia of ancient Greece. New York: Routledge. p. 511. ISBN 0-415-97334-1. Accommodation of Minorities Democracy celebrates and recognizes the presence different kinds of communities, safeguards them, gives them equal rights as the majority. It does not discriminate between its citizens. The term citizen in fact symbolically represents democracy itself, a legally recognized subject under protection of his/her respective govt. Decentralization of Power Aristotle rightly contrasted rule by the many (democracy/polity), with rule by the few (oligarchy/aristocracy), and with rule by a single person (tyranny or today autocracy/monarchy) In a democracy power is not vested into a few people or a single person like oligarchy and monarchy, rather it is shared, at all levels, district, state, national. It operates at the grassroots level, for example, you may look at the Panchayati Raj model of democracy in India which covers every village, town, and district in its ambit and how are every section enjoys certain amount of power and jurisdiction for self-rule. Accountable and legitimate govt. Legitimacy stems since the elected representatives or Presidents or etc. have been voted into power by the people, they are nothing but servants of the people, mere administrators and policy makers, watch dogs of the society. Accountability comes from the fact that they can be rejected, voted out of power in the forthcoming election if they do not meet people’s demands and needs or do not keep the promises they made to the people. Rule of Law There are Independent institutions of judiciary, executive and legislation, which results in efficiency and minimizes prejudice and favouritism. Universal Adult Franchise Democracy grants all the citizens who are 18 or older suffrage (right to vote) to quote Charlie Chaplin from a famous satirical film on tyranny and despotism, "It is you, you the people that have the power" Room for correcting mistakes Though in a democracy, people take their own decisions by electing their own representatives, there is no guarantee that decisions taken by the public at the time of elections prove to be right for the years to come. People may later realize that they made a wrong choice. In a democracy such mistakes cannot stay hidden for long and there is room for correction. We can always vote for better alternatives in the next general elections. If the rulers do not change themselves, we can change them. Democracy is based on the doctrine of equality “Over time democracy, as a political system, has developed mechanisms to integrate marginalized groups mechanisms such as quotas or regional arrangements to amplify the concerns of politically disenfranchised groups” Michelle Bachelet, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, at the Democracy and Gender Equality Source: . http://www.unwomen.org... LIBERTY In a democracy you are free. It is impossible for liberty to be lost under a democratic form of government. Democracy assures that the will of the people shall prevail, and that is liberty. So long as democracy is preserved we can rest assured that liberty will be continued to the full. Even a thinker liker Aristotle believed the underlying principle of democracy is freedom, since only in a democracy the citizens can have a share in freedom. Sources: "Aristotle, The Politics". Humanities. mq. edu. au. Retrieved 2010-08-22. Aristotle (384–322 BC): General Introduction Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy "Our constitution is named a democracy, because it is the hands not of the few, but of many. But our laws secure equal justice for all private disputes, and our public opinion welcomes and honors talent in very branch of achievement, not for any sectional reason, but on grounds of excellence alone. " – Pericles. Democracy is in truth like my opponent quoted, "government of the people, by the people and for the people. " A democracy is where we talk about accommodating minorities, not ethnically cleansing them. A democracy is where people can question, inquire and make demands to their govt. Democracy is a form of government where a citizen leads a life of dignity and self-respect. My final argument is that democracy with all its flaws holds the ace when it comes to the quality of life; it is a form of govt. where the citizens have the power to even abandon democracy. Be it Warren Buffet or an urchin they both enjoy the right to food, shelter, education, equality, justice. Both have the right to vote, both have the right to a fair judicial process, the same political status. Conclusion There is no form of governance as equitable, participatory and liberal as democracy for democracy is nothing but the the manifestation of the mandate of the people.