The development of political reality in Western Europe and North America determines the importance of understanding the true meaning of the phenomenon of liberal democracy. Any influential political movement claims to implement the principles of democracy, but often the real activities of such movements are very far from the true goals of democracy.
Historical sketch
Liberal democracy, a concept that is so often used in our time and therefore has become customary, was once an unthinkable and impossible phenomenon. And this is due solely to the fact that until the middle of the 19th century, the ideas of liberalism and democracy were in some conflict with each other. The main discrepancy was along the line of determining the object of the protection of political rights. Liberals sought to ensure equal rights not for all citizens, but mainly for the class of property owners and the aristocracy. A person with property is the foundation of society, which must be protected from the arbitrariness of the monarch. The ideologists of democracy saw the deprivation of the voting rights of the poor as a form of enslavement. Democracy is the formation of power based on the will of the majority, of the entire people. In 1835, Alexis de Tocqueville's work Democracy in America was published. The model of liberal democracy he presented showed the possibility of building a society in which personal freedom, private property and democracy itself could coexist.
Main characteristics of liberal democracy
Liberal democracy is a form of social and political structure in which representative democracy is the basis for the rule of law. With such a model of democracy, the individual stands out from society and the state, and the main attention is focused on creating guarantees for individual freedom that can prevent any suppression of the individual by power.
The goal of liberal democracy is equal provision for every citizen of the rights to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, private property and personal inviolability. This political system, which recognizes the rule of law, separation of powers, protection of fundamental freedoms, necessarily presupposes the existence of an "open society". An "open society" is characterized by tolerance and pluralism, and makes possible the coexistence of the most diverse socio-political views. Periodic elections provide an opportunity for each of the existing groups to gain power. A characteristic feature of liberal democracies that emphasize freedom of choice is the fact that the political group in power is not required to share all aspects of the ideology of liberalism. But regardless of the ideological views of the group, the principle of the rule of law remains unchanged.
