What are the basic elements of Western democracy

The state system of managing the affairs of the state within a certain class, in accordance with the principles of equality and majority rule***. In a democracy, the people have supreme sovereignty over the legislator and the government. Although there are subtle differences among the world's democracies, democratic governments have specific principles and modes of operation that distinguish them from other forms of government. Democracy is government in which power and civic responsibility are exercised by all citizens - either directly or through their freely elected representatives. Democracy is a set of principles and modes of conduct that protect human freedom; it is the institutionalized expression of liberty. Democracy is based on the principle of majority decision making while respecting the rights of individuals and minorities. All democracies strive to protect the fundamental rights of individuals and minorities while respecting the will of the majority. Democracies take care not to give supreme power to the central government, decentralize government to the regional and local levels, and understand that local governments must be as open and responsive to the people as possible. Democratic governments know that their primary function is to protect fundamental human rights such as freedom of speech and religion, the right to equality before the law, and the opportunity for people to organize and participate fully in the political, economic and cultural life of society. Democracies hold regular, free and fair elections in which all citizens participate. Elections in democracies do not become window dressing for dictators or single political parties, but are genuine contests for the support of the people. Democracy brings government under the rule of law, ensuring that all citizens have equal protection of the law and that their rights are protected by the judicial system. Democratic institutions are diverse, reflecting the individual characteristics of the political, social and cultural life of each country. It is the basic principles of democracy, rather than a particular form, that determine its institutions. In democracies, citizens not only enjoy rights but also have the responsibility to participate in the political system through which their rights and freedoms are protected. Democratic societies embrace the values of tolerance, cooperation and compromise. Democracies recognize that compromise is needed to reach a ****sense and that it is often impossible to reach a ****sense. In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, "Intolerance is itself a form of violence and an obstacle to the development of a true democratic spirit."