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Lesson 6 Is democracy a universal ideal?
Democracy is not a simple idea that can be captured in a brief, simple definition. Because democracy is an ideal, no existing or historical political order realizes its ideals fully. Even so, the appeal of democracy is and has been strong, thanks to the values on which it is based. Understanding those values is important, because that understanding can be used to evaluate a political system. This lesson will introduce you to claims that democracy is a universal ideal and you will have an opportunity to evaluate those claims.
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
- Evaluate the extent to which democracy is a universal ideal.
- Describe the fundamental values that support democracy and explain how they may be used to judge a country's progress toward democracy.
- Compare how people feel about democracy in different parts of the world.
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