Liberal democracy

A liberal democracy is a political system where a democratic process (such as a majoritarian election) determines who will occupy political offices, but at the same time some fundamental rights of all citizens, such as free speech and the freedom of the press, are protected from encroachment from the government or the majority.

Theoretical Basis

The ideas behind liberal democracy largely developed following the diffusion of the Bourgeoisie within late-Medieval Europe and the development of Mercantilism during the Renaissance. The diffusion of wealth towards a new section of society, free from the bounds of the Courts of the Nobility, led to calls for wider emancipation and a more decentralized form of rule. This was also helped by the gradual weakening of the authority of the Church, which was involved in various conflicts (among which the Crusades) and lost influence thanks on the diffusion of Universities on the European continent, which were a much more secular source of knowledge and talent than the Monasteries.

These ideas gradually developed and expanded, subsequently leading to the French Revolution and the thought of Liberal philosophers such as Locke within the Anglo-Saxon world. Imperialism, economic development and the gradual dissolution of existing authorities' power led to its widespread adoption throughout the 19th and 20th Century.