6 Compelling Arguments for Why Fighting for Democracy is Always Worthwhile

It isn’t exactly breaking news anymore: democracy is on the decline worldwide. Seeing as how “protect democracy” is part of our slogan, and this effort concerns all who wish to continue to benefit from living in a democracy, we thought we should highlight several reasons as to why democracy is always something worth the fight.

1. Democracies Don’t Fight Each Other

There are some certainties in life, such as death, taxes, or gravity. But there should be one more added to that list: the “democratic peace.” What this means is that democratic countries as a rule almost never fight one another, with the correlation between democracy and peace being stronger than that between tobacco and cancer. In fact, since 1788 there has only been one brief war between democracies. Peaceful indeed.

2. Democracy Leads to Better-off Citizens

When the number of democracies skyrocketed in the 1990s, there was mild skepticism that democracy could deliver economic results for these new democracies. Now, after years of observation, the results are in: democracy is not only related to higher economic growth, but has also led to a reduction in infant deaths and better health outcomes in African countries following democratization.?

3. Democracies Have More Engaged Citizens

While we do sing the praises of voting, it is just one part of what makes democracy so irreplaceable. What truly sets democracy apart is the ability of citizens to get involved; not only can citizens in democracies vote, but they can also protest, create organizations, form political parties, and even run for office to make their voices heard. These connections and trust form a vibrant civil society, which then contributes to making democracy even stronger!

4. Democracies Rely on Citizens’ Support?

The word democracy itself comes from Greek words for “rule by the people,” so this point may seem a bit obvious for some. But, unlike absolute monarchies or dictatorships, what makes democracy different is the need for governments to not only provide for citizens, but also listen to them and involve them in making important decisions. These three sources of support make democracy into a true “iron triangle” which can’t be knocked over easily.

5. Power Is Transferred Peacefully in Democracies

When living in a democracy, we often take it for granted that, should a government lose power, it will simply hand over power to a new government. But did you know that more than one-third of countries have never had a peaceful transfer of power following an election? While a change of government may not seem like a big deal, it is a powerful symbol of the stability of democracy when it happens without bloodshed.

6. Democracy Helps Prevent and Fight Corruption

As the old saying goes, “sunlight is the best disinfectant.” But this isn’t just a tip for keeping kitchen surfaces clean. The transparent nature of democracy, with government processes and operations open to public observation, serve as an important means of keeping democracies less corrupt. By upholding the principles of accountability and transparency, no bad deed by the government should go unpunished.

Fighting for democracy may seem like a tough task, but at Assembly Voting we believe it's always worth the fight. To learn more about why championing democracy is a worthy cause, check out our blog post on the topic here:?

https://assemblyvoting.com/blog/why-democracy-is-always-worth-the-fight/

Written by Alexander Boylston, writer at Assembly Voting