Some democratic states give individuals the opportunity to engage in the legal system as volunteers. The involvement of people who are not legal professionals in court proceedings is intended to…
Voluntary work is an important part of municipal life. Many political offices at municipal level are filled by volunteers, as are numerous roles in municipal institutions such as the voluntary…
Elections are an indispensable part of any democracy. The citizens of any democratic state must have the ability to re-elect their representatives every few years. The procedure used for these…
Many decisions that affect individuals’ daily lives are taken at the municipal level. What specific forms can democratic procedures for planning, decision-making and enforcement take at this level? For example,…
A large part of individuals’ lives plays out at the municipal level, meaning in their villages or neighbourhoods. Laws and decisions are enforced at the local level. This allows individuals…
Freedom of research and teaching, in other words the freedom of researchers from state intervention, is a fundamental pillar of democratic societies. This means that state institutions may not intervene…
Employees form trade unions in order to jointly represent their interests to their employers and the state. In democratic states, trade unions play an important role in preventing economic exploitation…
Persons belonging to the same professional group often have common interests in enforcement, professional rules, and laws. While mainly employees are organized in trade unions, self-employed people, in particular, join…
Associations are important institutions in which people come together to jointly pursue a long-term goal or shared interests. They create spaces in which the state has no influence. Associations, therefore,…
Political parties exist in almost every state, but the role of parties differs enormously between countries. While some states only have a single party, others have a party system involving…
