Democratic Ideals

Democratic Ideals is a rhetorical phrase used to denote either personal qualities or standards of government behavior that are felt to be essential for the continuation of a democratic policy. Advocates for causes across the political spectrum use this phrase in attempting to engage in persuasion, particularly by contrasting some situation which has been allowed to continue for pragmatic or social reasons, but which those advocating action regard as being wrong in principle. Advocates for greater equality in the distribution of wealth, for example, will argue that inequalities create differing levels of opportunity, and that equality is a "democratic ideal". Other times, advocates of one political outlook or another will use the phrase to energize support among their constituencies, despite knowing that their political opponents use precisely the same phrase to do precisely the same thing. ^*^*

Basic concepts

Two areas which are often the focus of the phrase democratic ideals are values and personal qualities involved with human rights essential for the continuation of a democratic policy, such as justice, peace, etc., and standards of behavior that the government and its officials should be held to, such as honesty, respect for due process of law and the rule of law, adhering to the results of elections and engaging in civic dialogue.^*

Democratic ideals are strongly associated with the values of the individual who must function within a community based on consent. Frequently the importance of human rights is listed as a central democratic ideal^*," target="_blank" >as well as instilling in military and civilian governmental personnel the attitudes and methods which will prevent their actions from infringing on those rights.[http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:lOvayW6QHiEJ:gseweb.harvard.edu/~t656_web/peace/Articles_Spring_2004/Cummings_Briana_American_revolution.htm+%22Democratic+Ideals%22&hl=en&start=3

Democratic ideals are often cited as a reason for patriotism, for example Woodrow Wilson's argument that America needed to enter World War I in order to make the world "Safe for Democracy".

Historical development

Democratic ideals are often thought to be embodied by important landmark documents in history, for example Magna Carta, Petition of Right, Declaration of the Rights of Man, the American Declaration of Independence and other documents which. effected or established political change towards democracy.It is also related to the attempt to link moral norms to civic ideals, for example, in the work of Alexander Hamilton Thomas Jefferson ^*," target="_blank" >both of whom argued that citizens and statesman alike had to feel a moral compulsion to do what was right in a Democracy, and that Democratic nations required Democratic moral values. This idea was elaborated by, among others Ralph Waldo Emerson[http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=2944.

Controversy

As much as the exact content of "Democratic Ideals" are a matter of controversy,so is another aspect implied by their being termed as universal moral norms: namely, the export of Democracy, if necessary by force. Nations which have seen themselves as more Democratic have, in the view of some paradoxically, been willing to export their system to other states or nations by force, beginning, most famously, with Athens ^*" target="_blank" >and France[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolutionary_Wars during the first decade after the French Revolution. Many have argued that the most important reason for George W. Bush invading Iraq was the aspiration of setting up Iraq as a functioning democracy, and as such, meant to advance "democratic ideals".

Other uses of the term

In historical texts, the phrase is often used to denote aspirations or norms of behavior, separate from a functioning democracy, including egalitarianism, self-government, self-determination and freedom of conscience.