In contemporary times, democracy is always viewed as a system of Liberal Democracy. It has full faith in the ideology of liberalism and in the democratic way of life and rule.
In a Liberal Democracy peoples’ power is supreme. People are sovereign and they themselves elect their government.
The government always works according to the dictates of public opinion. It is a popularly elected representative government which is continuously responsive, responsible and accountable to the public. It is constituted by free, fair and regular elections.
The people have the right to change their government, and they do change it from time to time. A government remains in power so long an it continues to enjoy popular majority support as expressed in elections and otherwise. People are free to criticise its policies.
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The political struggle is open and free in which a number of political parties, at-least two or more than two, freely participate. All decisions are taken by majority or consensus. The majority and minorities form part of one national mainstream. There is rule of law, decentralisation of powers, judicial independence and constitutionally granted and guaranteed rights and freedoms of the people, and freedom of mass media. The government always works as a transparent and responsible government.
The state, the authority holders, the people and all the organisations and associations of the people accept and respect the ideology of liberalism, which gives highest place to the rights and freedoms of the people. It has full faith in : rights and freedoms of the people, freedom of public opinion, people’s right to express dissent, freedom to form associations and parties, open competition for power in politics, free enterprise and competitiveness in economic relations and a government working under several political, social and economic checks and balances.