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Rocio Serrano
Professor Sanchez
English 1A
23 September 2015
Is a Democracy Really What You Think It Is?
What is considered an ideal democracy? Would it be where the people rule directly or
where there are representatives who organize the government? More importantly, what is a
democracy exactly? Some would define it as a form of government where the people rule, others
as where the poor rule, and I would say it is where everyone contributes in how the government
is ran but do not control the final decisions made. In Aristotle's "Democracy and Oligarchy", he
discusses the different kinds of democracies that exist and how equality plays a huge role in
defining it. Without equality, or even limiting it, it can change a democracy into an oligarchy. He
goes into detail about each kind there is and further analyzes how regardless of having similar
elements, they are each unique in their own way. Having been given examples and definitions of
true democracies, I strongly believe it is impossible to have a democracy without equality for
then it would not be a democracy but a form of oligarchy.
One of Aristotle's version of democracy "is that which is said to be strictly based on
equality."(66) In this form the rich and the poor are considered equal and above that, they have
the supreme power rather than the law. Since this form focuses on equality and freedom, it
allows the people to truly run their own country . Because this version is described as a form in
which the people's opinion is the decisive one, Aristotle distinguishes equality as allowing the
citizens to be equal regardless of their gender, race, or wealth. Not only does he focus on the true

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definition of equality but he centers the idea of democracy around it. This true definition of
equality, however, only focuses on one aspect of the word.
While in times such as those lived by Aristotle, the term equality was focused more on
the political aspect of it, a modern day definition of it would include the social, political, and
economical characteristics of equality. In addition to being given equal right to be able to
participate in the government, citizens are also given the rights summarized in the first
amendment. These rights include "freedom of speech, religion, press, and the right to protest and
petition the government." Citizens are able to protest and show their disagreement with the
government without being punished for it. To keep economic equality within the citizens of the
country, the government regulates and adjusts taxes according to a person's income. The rich pay
a larger amount of taxes than everyone else to keep things balanced. Now, having been given this
comparison, we can then conclude that a democracy cannot exist without equality. Therefore,
equality can be achieved in a modern state.
In a modern state, the main goal is to maintain its citizens satisfaction. They can do this
by treating them as equals and allowing them to have some sort of role in the government.
Contributing to how it is ran gives them a sense of power. An example of this can be the citizen's
right to vote for their president. Not only are they sharing their idea of how they would like their
country to be ran but they also gain satisfaction in knowing that they are taken into
consideration. Equality can be achieved in modern society because over time we as people have
had changes in the way we perceive the world. We have become more aware and accepting of
other people. This can only be achieved in a true democracy.
In Aristotle's discussion he talks about different variations of democracy and emphasizes
the importance of equality in all 5. He then continues on to talk about an oligarchy and it's

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different forms which all set a limit on equality. When talking about a form of government in
which there are qualifications needed to be included, he states: "They all obtain a share in the
government when they have acquired the qualification which is fixed by the law- the absolute
exclusion of any class would be a step towards oligarchy; hence all who have acquired the
property qualification are admitted to a share in the constitution." (67)Here he basically says that
limiting equality in this manner steers the government away from a democracy but by giving the
citizens an opportunity to become a part of the government does not make it an oligarchy. For an
oligarchy is run by a small rich group of people and therefore by giving them a shot in taking
part of the government it doesn't necessarily eliminate equality, but limit it.
Very briefly, Aristotle defines both forms of government as the following: "we should
rather say that democracy is the form of government in which the free are rulers, and oligarchy in
which the rich.." (63) It is carefully stated that the free are rulers rather than the "majority" or the
"people" and this gives all people equal rights. Having freedom gives you equality however
being given equality does not necessarily give you freedom. This is stated in this manner to
emphasize how democracy is dependent on the idea of equality. Any form of government in
which there are restrictions as to who gets to have a part in the government is considered more of
an oligarchy because it would limit the government to be ran by a small group of people.
Freedom and equality are associated heavily with democracy. The way in which a
democracy is ran is centered around allowing their citizens to have a say in how it works and to
contribute their opinion. With this being said, it is almost impossible to have a democracy
without equality because then it would be a variation of oligarchy or a form of government with
elements of a monarchy. Moreover, while over time the definition of equality has changed, it will
continue to be a major component in achieving a democracy.

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