Democracy was defined by Abraham Lincoln as the government ‘of the people, for the people and by the people.’ Since the main stress in any democratic set-up is on the people, it is a system that is most acceptable. Every single individual in the country is a part of the process of governing. The legislature is elected by the people. It makes laws for the people. The executive, selected from the legislature, runs the country for the people. If it is corrupt or fails in its duty, it will not be re-elected the next time.

This does not mean that democracy is an ideal system which makes the functioning of the government flawless. Democracy also has its drawbacks. It does not guarantee social justice. sometimes those in power are corrupt. At times the governing bodies keep their actions a secret and do not take the people into confidence. It is slow in functioning and is incapable of coping up with emergency. But in spite of all these defects, democracy is the most effective form of government.

If democracy is to be effective, the people have to be alert. They must continuously keep a track of the activities of those to whom they have entrusted the reins of government. They must learn to raise a voice against injustice and atrocities. Democracy gives them this right and opportunity. But it is essential that they perform their duties as citizens faithfully and to the best of their abilities. If an individual is corrupt, he cannot expect those in power to be free from corruption.

Democracy is better than other forms of government. Other forms of government are monarchy and dictatorship - of an individual, of a foreign imperialist government, of military or of a political party. In both monarchy and dictatorship, the ruler -individual or group-wields absolute power and people have no remedy against its misuse. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. There is no individual freedom, freedom of speech or expression.

Democracy is better because it is a representative form of government. Ultimate reins of government are entrusted to the elected representatives of the people. But in order to prevent concentration of power in a small group, functions of government are distributed among three branches, viz. the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. They exercise mutual check on each other.

But the most important attribute of democracy is that everyone is treated equally before the law, irrespective of caste, creed or sex. Everyone is entitled to freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom of occupation and freedom to move throughout the country. The dignity of man is recognised and respected, people are given ample opportunities to become strong and self-reliant. In a democracy, many religions flourish and enrich the cultural heritage of the country. For these and many other forms of government and best reflects the will of the people in the governance of the country.

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