New study reveals a global consensus on what democracy means

Most people in most countries state that they wish to have a democratic government. But the definition of democracy has been constantly contested. Without understanding what people really mean by democracy, the concept is vulnerable to being exploited by dictators and anti-democratic politicians for their own ends.

Today, democracy is under pressure within and across societies, even in long-standing democracies such as the United States and India.

A new research study led by the University of Oxford, National University of Singapore, and Emory University has now shed light on the question: “How do people around the world define democracy?”

The study surveyed over 6,000 people from the United States, Italy, Egypt, India, Thailand, and Japan- countries with highly different political regimes, democratic histories, geographic regions, levels of development, and cultural backgrounds. The study explored how people prioritize nine different attributes in their understanding of what makes a country democratic, using examples of hypothetical countries.

The paper “People consistently view elections and civil liberties as key components of democracy” was published in Science on 17 October 2024.

Overwhelmingly, the two most important factors identified by participants were competitive elections and strong protections for civil liberties. The relevance of these was consistent regardless of people’s age, gender, education, minority status, or political ideology.

Participants were significantly more likely to view countries that select their leaders through free and fair elections as more democratic than countries without elections. Participants were also significantly more likely to view countries with strong protections for civil liberties as more democratic compared with countries without such protections.

After elections and liberties, the two most important attributes were gender equality, then economic equality. Countries in which men and women have equal rights are more likely to be seen as democratic than countries with highly unequal gender rights. Relative equality between the rich and poor (compared with high inequality) also increased the likelihood that a country was seen as more democratic.

Institutional checks and balances were also seen to be important for democracy, although not as significantly as elections or civil liberties. Countries where leaders must respect the legislature and courts’ authority in decision making were more likely to be perceived as more democratic compared with countries in which the leader frequently bypasses the legislative and judicial branches when making decisions.

Finally, participants were generally more likely to see countries in which they can directly vote on policies as more democratic, but this “direct democracy” was relatively unimportant compared to other factors.

In contrast, the researchers found little evidence of an “authoritarian” redefinition of democracy taking root anywhere. Even within authoritarian countries such as Egypt or Thailand, democracy was still perceived as being rooted in elections and liberties.

Co-author Associate Professor Scott Williamson (Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford) said, “We found that people across six very different countries consistently emphasize competitive elections and civil liberties as key determinants of what makes a country democratic.

“This shared understanding of democracy’s most important elements makes it more likely that people can identify undemocratic behavior and push back against undemocratic political leaders.”

Co-author Professor Jonathan A. Chu (Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore) added, “Our research speaks to the international competition over the place and meaning of democracy worldwide, as countries like China advance definitions of democracy that challenge traditional understandings that focus on free and fair elections and individual liberties.”

Co-author Ph.D. candidate Eddy S. F. Yeung (Department of Political Science, Emory University) said, “The concept of democracy is increasingly muddled in global conversations, especially in an era of democratic backsliding. Our collaborative effort provides systematic evidence that conventional elements of democracy still play an important role in shaping ordinary citizens’ understandings of democracy.”