Defining Democracy

We live in a time of great tension and conflict in democracies around the world. Many countries are experiencing a rise in political polarization and at the same time, more people are losing faith in democratic institutions. In this lesson, we start to help students understand these challenges by examining the idea of democracy itself. 

We will help students think about the definition of democracy and then consider how it might relate to the communities and culture in which they live and participate. In later lessons, we'll look more closely at what strengthens and weakens democracy.

Essential Questions

• What is democracy?
• How are democracy and community related?

Activity 1 Create a working definition of democracy

Begin by asking students to brainstorm words or phrases they associate with the word democracy. What comes to mind when they hear the word democracy? Students can record their ideas in their notebooks.

Next, pass out the reading What Is Democracy? Read each quotation aloud (or ask students to do so). Then give students a few minutes to reflect on the quotations on their own, adding to their brainstorming from the previous step. Ask: What new information and ideas do these quotations give you about what democracy can be?

Ask students to share their brainstormed lists with each other in pairs. Encourage them to borrow ideas from each other, or to refine their ideas based on what they learn from their classmates. Then have students share some of their ideas aloud. Write these ideas on the board to create a class brainstorming list.

Because democracy is both a concrete form of government and a societal aspiration, it is important for students to know that they are trying to define something that is hard to define. Instead of trying to create one definition for democracy, lead students through the following steps:

• How does the dictionary define democracy?
• What is one example of democracy?
• What is one example of something that is not democracy?
• What image or symbol might we use to represent democracy?

Activity 2 Explore the relationship between democracy and community

By now, students will have some understanding of the definition of democracy. But what’s the connection between democracy and our lives today? The next readings and questions will help students link the two. Begin by asking students to brainstorm again in their notebooks, this time about the word community.

Next, pass out the reading Democracy and Community. Read aloud Suzanne Goldsmith’s definition of community, and ask students to add to their brainstorming based on any new ideas they learned from Goldsmith. 

Finally, lead a class discussion about the relationship between community and democracy, using the connection questions in the reading Democracy and Community to guide the discussion.