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Active Participation in a Democracy

Participation is a key principle of democracy. Active participation among citizens ensures
that the voice of those who are not in power, who are usually the majority in a democracy, is
actually heard. A democracy is successful if most citizens are actively participating in it. This is
because the involvement of a majority of the people is what makes up a democracy. A
democracy cannot exist if the majority of people in a population do not participate.
Citizens can participate in a democracy in different ways, such as voting. Voting is an
important way in which people participate in a democracy. It is vital for the success of
democracy because citizens who are eighteen years and above have their voices heard. Citizens
have an opportunity to elect leaders who they think will represent them effectively. Besides,
citizens make themselves aware of the issues affecting them on a larger scale and make them
known to their leaders for action. Most importantly, there are other avenues to get heard other
than voting or being involved directly in politics.
Participation from citizens drives representative democracy, and without participation,
then there cannot be successful democracy. By engaging in activities such as marches, civil
disobedience, and protests, citizens ensure that their voice is heard (Krutz & Waskiewicz, 2016).
There are various ways through which people can participate in a democracy and ensure change
happens within their communities. Some of these changes may include better schools and
systems to ensure fairness and effectiveness in service delivery. Overall, participation in
government matters, and it is the only way to get things done in a democracy. This is why,
without citizen participation, then democracy is dysfunctional.

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References

Krutz, G. S., & Waskiewicz, S. (2016). American government. OpenStax College, Rice
University.