Core democratic values
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Core Democratic Values are the ideals and qualities fundamental to democratic society and liberty. Basic values of Democracy emphasize personal liberty, human rights, and equality.
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[edit] Fundamental beliefs
Life: Every person has the right to life, no matter their age, gender, cultural background, ethnicity, religion, income, marital status, or other discriminating factor, and that right cannot be taken away from you except in dire circumstances where you are directly threatening the life of another person.
Liberty: Economic Freedom: The freedom to choose when, where and with whom we trade and to sell and price our own personal goods.
Personal Freedom: The freedom to pursue the activities of your own choosing as long as you are not interfering with other people’s inalienable rights.
Political Freedom: The right to vote however and for whomever we wish, if in fact we choose to vote at all. The right and freedom to run for any office if we see it fit and to be affiliated with the political party of our own choosing.
Pursuit of Happiness: You have the right to pursue your own happiness in a way that does not affect or take away the rights of other people. Doing what makes you happy, without causing disconfort to others.
Justice: In allocating the benefits and encumbrances of humanity, no faction or personage should be preferential. The regime should be unbiased in all it does, in both castigating and philanthropic remuneration to the laypeople.
Equality: Treating everyone the same
Political Equality: The rights given to you by the Constitution cannot be taken away except by the due and just process of law.
Legal Equality: Everyone will be treated equally by and before the law.
Social Equality: The government will not establish or support in any form, any hierarchy of society and/or social class.
Economic Equality: While Economic Equality tend to strengthen Political and Social Equality, extreme economic inequality should, by all means, be avoided, for all other forms of equality tend to be lost.
Diversity: It is both advantageous and valuable to our society if there is an ample variety in the culture, religion, heritage, ethnicity, and beliefs of the people. A wide array of the aforementioned does not hinder, but help and enrich our nation.
Truth: The public should require and stipulate that the regime tell the truth and does not mislead or lie to the citizens. It is not necessary for the government to; however, disclose any and all matters and information, such as the location(s) of plans and weapons intended for nuclear warfare. The government and its people should not lie.
Popular Sovereignty: The governed hold control of the government; by voting for those they feel would be successful in the office to which they are being elected.
Patriotism: Righteous citizens are devoted and display that devotion suitably to their country, its regime, its populace, the constitutional principals upon which it stands, and the Core Democratic Values. The people should be accommodating and supportive and show their espousal of the causes and beliefs of their country.
[edit] Civil liberties and their relation to Core Democratic Values
Central to the correlation of liberty and the Core Values of Democracy is the understanding that the political or personal obligations and values of one group or individual cannot be forced upon another. The right to personal liberty and freedom is essential to Democracy, and the rights of individual thought and action in the public and private sphere is a necessary component of civil liberty. When the individual is free to act, to think and to believe, and when the government cannot legitimately invade ones political freedom, the person enjoys liberty according to the values of Democracy.
[edit] Constitutional principles relating to Core Democratic Values
- Rule of Law: Both the people and the government must obey all laws.
- Separation of Powers: The executive, legislative and judicial branches of the government should be separate institutions so no one branch gains an advantage or monopoly on government.
- Representative Government: The people have the right to elect others to represent them in the government.
- Checks and Balances: The powers of the three branches of government, executive, legislative and judicial, should be balanced. No one branch should be allowed to dominate other branches, and each branch should have powers to check the actions of the other branches.
- Individual Rights: Each individual has the fundamental right to life, liberty, economic freedom and the pursuit of happiness. These rights are outlined in the Bill of Rights and the government should protect these rights and not place undue restrictions upon them.
- Freedom of Religion: The right to practice any or no religion without persecution or interference from the government.
- Federalism: The states and the federal government share power as outlined by the Constitution.
- Civilian Control of the Military : Non-military people should be incharge of the military
[edit] External links
[edit] See also
Democracy
Liberty
Checks and Balances
Social equality