Binogi's video: What is democracy Civics - Binogi

It was once an island. One day, just off the island, a cargo ship collided with a luxury liner. Everyone on board managed to swim to shore before the boat sank. Passengers were stuck on the island. What would they do now? First, did the people on the island just what they wanted. And it was nice, but eventually people were at loggerheads. This was because they had only managed to bring a knife to the island. And this knife used for everything possible: hunting, shave, or cut wood. Who would decide about the knife? The passengers from the cruise ship thought that because it was they who brought the knife so they should have it. But the passengers from the freighter argued that since they arrived in the country first, so they would have the knife. Eventually, Alice got an idea. If all wanted to determine why not not let them do it? You could let the people govern themselves. With the rule of the people, no one could let everyone take decisions together. The people on the island therefore formed a democracy, a government by the people. Everyone on the island thought it was clever to vote on everything. Bob, who wanted the knife as often as possible, then suggested that only men should have access to the knife, and not women. The women laughed at this, saying that such a law would not be able to go through! But it turned out that less than half of those on the island who were women. To follow the will of the majority may not always be the most fair, it turned out. Alice suggested a law to protect minorities. Certain basic rights should apply to all, and not even a majority could take them away from anyone. Maybe it was not such a bad thing. Who knows, maybe next time it is you who are in the minority ... Life on the island went on, and every time a decision would be taken, gathered the whole island, and voted. Every question was directly linked to a vote. This is called direct democracy. But gradually people began to tire of having to go and vote on every single issue. Was there really no easier way? Maybe they could instead vote for someone who had to make decisions for them, in individual issues, for a period, someone who represents them? Yes, of course. Then it became a representative democracy. Since most of the island thought that Alice seemed wise, so she was elected prime minister. But after a while, Bob got tired of having Alice as a representative. So when it was time for elections again, Bob began to promise people anything is possible, if they only voted for him. And Bob won the election. However, it soon turns out that Bob is not at all going to fulfill his promises. But it does no good? It is simply to wait until the next election? No, Bob decided to set the election and stay in power himself. It was not so good. Maybe we'd have some laws that are not going to vote away so easily, laws which we base our democracy. We can call these basic laws for constitutional laws. What should be in them? Well, that's where we write the fundamental rights that all people have. And so we limit what they are elected to do, so they can not decide to abolish democracy. Yes, that sounds good. We will vote through ... But, first, we must be sure that Bob is not Prime Minister anymore. Democracy is not quite as simple as they will only be allowed to vote. A democratic society must protect everyone's human rights, even those who do not have the power. Yes, even the Bobs.