Robert Dahl is known for his extensive literature on politics and democratic principles. His work “On Democracy” touches on several issues. For example, the definition of ideal democracy as a political system that supports social and political equity at all levels. Furthermore, it focuses on the idea of ​​ideal democracy. According to Dahl, the threshold for an ideal democratic society has yet to be reached by any country in the world. To acquire the ideal sense of democracy, there is a set of criteria that he suggests countries strive to meet. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay. For example, there should be effective participation of all citizens in matters of public interest. This should include equal access to opportunities and the freedom to voluntarily pursue social preferences without fear of reprisal. Furthermore, society must ensure that every right to vote is protected regardless of the voter's social status. Ideally, the opposite has also been the case in self-proclaimed democracies like the United States, where claims of voter fraud have previously been made. Furthermore, society must provide all citizens with equal opportunities to assert what is best for them and determine what would best serve their interests. This should manifest itself in the government's immediate response to mass demonstrations or political activism that they intend to influence. At the beginning of the book, Dahl answers the question "what is democracy?" He created a list of five criteria that must be met for a country to be recognized as fully democratic. Implementing all of these criteria would mean that an “ideal” democracy has been established, but Dahl states that it is impractical to expect a perfect democracy given the realities of the world we live in. The criteria are: Fair and effective participation in declaring one's opinions and preferences about politics Equal and effective opportunity to vote on the decision-making process where all votes are counted equally Equal and effective opportunity for citizens to learn about alternative policies and their potential consequences Equal and effective opportunity for each citizen to determine how, and where, political issues should be placed on the political agenda. Equal opportunity for all adult permanent residents of a polity to have full rights on the first four criteria listed above. Dahl compares ancient republics and democracies by pointing out that both are very similar in that they are just forms of popular government. The Romans chose the word "republic" and the Greeks chose the word "democracy", although both had very similar governments. Both lacked elected representatives, locally elected popular governments answering to a national government, and both were presided over by a minority of people. Finally, most were usually men of some means. Non-property owners, women, and minorities were not part of the process. In 1956 Dahl coined the term “polyarchy,” defining it as the rule of many. It says it uses the term to refer to any “large-scale democratic government or nation-state or country” and with six criteria. These are: Elected representatives Free, fair and frequent elections Freedom of expression Alternative sources of information Associative autonomy Inclusive citizenship Dahl therefore answers the question “why democracy?” Dahl creates a list that provides ten benefits of using a democratic government. This list of benefits includes the avoidance of tyranny, the establishment of essential rights, the.