Election:
Periodic elections are the key to Democracy. They allow the people to choose their leaders. The periodicity ensures a certain amount of accountability on the part of the politicians. If their performance is not up to the expectations of the people, then they may lose in the next elections.
Therefore elections are a must. The elections must be regularly based on Universal Adult Franchise.
Equality:
Principal of equality is another important mechanism for the successful functioning of democracy. Firstly, the Universal Adult Franchise ensures that all the citizens of a particular age have the right to vote and take part in the election of the government. The beginning of democracy is elections and elections take place on the basis of equality, it ensures a better democracy.
Equality is both a condition and a result of democracy.
Empowerment:
Equality and election, become immaterial if the people are not empowered with the capacities to use other political rights apart from the right to vote. These include:
- Right to get elected to an office of public domain
- Right to criticize the government
- Right to petition.
The constitution empowers the citizens with a number of rights in a democratic system. Without empowerment, all these rights become just letters and words.
Education:
Finally, empowerment is impossible without proper education. Education plays the most vital role in a democracy. Education ensures better and rational usage of all political rights, and civil rights. Here, education must include formal training in the political system, the constitution, political values and human values.
Thus,
Education=> Empowerment => Equality => Election => Ideal Democracy
In many Third World Countries, including India, education is being neglected, which is the main cause of failure in democracy. Most democracies here are only sustainable democracies and not substantial democracies.