It is generally assumed about democracy that it is 'government of the people, for the people and by the people'- as suggested by Abraham Lincoln. This has become one of the most dominant definitions of democracy and commonly referred to by many while defining democracy. This particular definition as soon as read or quoted gives the impression that democracy is a system that keeps in consideration the people as a whole.
At the same time it does not have any term or word related to individual liberty that has been talked about so much in modern political discussions. It can be inferred without any ambiguity that a true democracy is that form of government in which supremacy belongs to the majority. The government is set up in the larger interest of the people. In this system people directly or indirectly solve their problems and everyone has equal status before that law.
There have been many merits of democracy identified by the political thinker and political experiences. It is said that democracy is the form of government that looks after the welfare of the common man comparatively better than other forms of government. This system has no provision for privileged class as it provides an opportunity to the people to defend and achieve their rights.
It is democracy that provides right to the people to form a government. The public representatives run the government according to the general will. The elected representatives belong to them. In democracy people realize that government has been established by them; so everyone discharges his duty devotedly.
Democracy exalts the moral values of the people. It teaches them principal of humanism, nobility, morality, love and affection. As such this form of government is also appreciated on the basis of moral virtues. Undoubtedly a good government is always helpful in improving the personality of individuals. A democratic government makes ample arrangements for it.
This system has less ambitious designs against any country. It is peace-loving because it is founded on the will of people. They are well aware of the fact that they will have to bear a great loss in war. In this form of government people directly participate in the functions of government as they are related to it. They understand that they are master of government and country and this feeling creates a sense of patriotism in them.
This form of government functions in conformity with the will of the people, and is accountable to them. Laws are made by the representatives of people and enforced by them. Therefore, it is a popular form of government. On the other hand human life has no value for the dictator or a despot. He crushes every just opposition. But in democracy, it is not possible because he is bound to honor the humanitarian values.
Equality is the base of democracy. Democracy is the torchbearer of liberty and equality. In this system every person has equal political rights. Every person gets equal opportunities of promotion and no discriminatory treatment is made with anyone. Courts are the defenders of fundamental rights of the citizens.
The risk of revolt and revolution is less in democracy because it relies upon peaceful motivation and movement. In this system people know that the peaceful and constitutional means are available to change the government, which can be easily used during the election, so democratic governments are always safe from revolutions.
Another merit of this system is that it promotes political consciousness. In this system many elections are held and every political party suggests the solutions of the problems of the country. This increases political understanding.
The merits mentioned above cannot be affiliated with all the democracies present in today's world; rather they talk about the ideal democracy. The real democracies have different drawbacks and may seem to be quite different from what has been mentioned so far. However, it should be kept in mind that with utmost and loyal efforts it is possible to establish a strong and healthy democracy within a state.
One of the greatest demerits of democracy is said to be its emphasis on the quantity rather than the quality. As it always strives to favor the will of the majority, it is not necessary that majority possesses the excellent talents. In fact democracy is a form of government wherein men are counted, not weighed.
Democracy basically promotes the ideology that every person is capable and wise. It can be objected on the ground that majority of the people are neither politically awakened nor they are conscious of the value of their votes. They are not wise enough to elect talented persons. In this way, government passes into the hands of incompetent persons. According to Henry Maine, "Democracy is the rule of the incompetent."
Another argument can also be presented here to question the effectiveness of democracy. If democracy is to protect only the rights and the will of the majority, it is bound to be exploitative. Further, it, in that sense, also tends to neglect the diversity in different states of the world.
It is appreciative to note that some of the developed nations of the world have been able to shield the rights of the minority groups and tackle the diversity in their states through proportional representation, local governments and appropriate forms of government.
The other states of the world that are in the basic stages of their democratic setup and also have to carry diverse societies, like that of our country Afghanistan, have to keep such examples in their considerations so as to avoid any sort of discrimination and guarantee true representation to all the people of the country; as democracy is not just about making all the people form a 'general will' (as is strived by totalitarian regimes) and protect it. It is about managing the diversities in the people and making them believe that they have their rights protected and they have their say in the formation and regulation of state affairs.