As a result, decolonised countries that emerged into independence …show more content…
This can be seen as the purest form of democracy as although women and slaves were not allowed to vote, all those who were citizens of Athens were given a chance to lead despite legalities such as political experience, intelligence and overall good will ( Heywood 2000 : 126 ).
Representational or Liberal Democracy however, takes a different approach. It can be considered as a more diluted form of democracy as the majority chooses a group that will represent their desires and needs of the people and is only really embraced every few years by means of regular elections ( Heywood 2000 : 126 ). One of the most important aspects of liberal democracy is that representatives or most powerful decision makers are not chosen as a result of birth,wealth, violence or other sinister means but rather as a result of a choice made by the supreme will of the people ( Huntington 1991 : 6 ).
Liberal democracy also emphasises the rights of the citizen in that all citizens are entitled to various civil and political entitlements such as freedom of speech, assembly, expression and the freedom to initiate and engage in political debate ( Huntington 1991 : 7