democratic norms
Unwritten political standards
Democratic norms are the unwritten rules and shared expectations that allow democratic systems to function beyond what laws formally require.
These include peaceful transfer of power, acceptance of election results, restraint in using institutional advantages, and treating political opponents as legitimate rivals rather than enemies.
When politicians violate democratic norms, they may not break laws but erode the foundations of democratic governance.
The debate centered on whether democratic norms could survive such polarization.
- fair electionsUntampered democratic process
- electionsFormal choosing of officials
- votingFormally registering a choice
- voter turnoutShare of eligible citizens voting
- free pressJournalism without censorship
rule of law · constitution · transparency · accountability · public trust · checks and balances · civil liberties · human rights · minority rights · peaceful transfer · pluralism · consent · representation · dissent · debate · tolerance · equality · open debate
- democratizationfree elections, political transition, liberalization, electoral reform, constitutional reform
- political ethicsethical standards, public trust, conflict of interest, conflicts of interest, impartiality
democratic normsauthoritarianism
Concentrated, unchecked governmental power
autocratic rule · dictatorship · tyranny · totalitarianism · despotism
democratic normsconstitutional violations
Breaches of supreme law
political repression · election rigging · voter suppression · press censorship · propaganda
democratic normsconstitutional violations
Breaches of supreme law
power grabs · rule by decree · coup d'état · suspension of rights · executive overreach
democratic, norms, democracy, democrat, democracies, democrats, democratically, democratize, democratization