Democracy is a social arrangement in which the people generate and wield state authority. Thus, democracy refers to a form of government in which the population participates in the exercise of civil power through direct democracy and representative democracy (when the people exercise their power through representatives chosen by them) (Chen & Shi, 2021). However, income and wealth equality are not required in a democracy. What is vital is that individuals have equal representation in government so that they may influence the governing process, as well as the capacity to exercise their rights regardless of economic condition.
It is worth noting that a more moderate, mainstream view holds that democracy requires the transfer of wealth sufficient to meet the necessities of every member of society. The premise is that individuals who are inadequately nourished, housed, healthy, and educated are unable to participate in governance, to successfully exercise their right to vote, or to take advantage of opportunities to increase their participation in governance. In theory, wealth distribution is a political choice made by elected officials (Kertzer, 2022). There needs to be an evident reason for them or the voters to prefer a specific method. If one considers that voters or their representatives are largely driven by self-interest, voters will make a decision based on their impressions of how redistribution would raise or reduce their income, which will result in a gain only sometimes.
Democracy may make countries more equitable by granting equal access to power and ensuring equal protection of rights and freedoms. This will happen because the general public will have equal rights and influence over the government (Chen & Shi, 2021). The United States, on the other hand, has a distinct type of democracy in which the elite are at the top of society, and the people may only pick them. Therefore, this demonstrates how democracy reduces the country’s equitable character.
References
Chen, H. H., & Shi, S. J. (2021). Changing dynamics of social policy in democracy: Comparing pension and health reforms in Taiwan. Journal of Asian Public Policy, 14(1), 30-44.
Kertzer, J. D. (2022). Re‐assessing elite‐public gaps in political behavior. American Journal of Political Science, 66(3), 539-553.