One of Britain's most realistic writers, G. Orwell, said onone occasion "In the case of a word like democracy not only isthere no agreed definition, but the attempt to make one isresisted from ali sides..."1 Nevertheless, if defining democracymerely signifies giving the meaning of the word, the problemis quickly solved, for ali that is required is some knowledge ofGreek. Literally democracy means "power of the people", thatthe power belongs to the people. However, we also have to askwhat the term stands for. In 1949 a UNESCO inquiry into ideological conflicts concerning democracy issued the followingstatement: "For the first time in the history of the world, 110-doctrines are advanced as anti-democratic. Practical politiciansand political theorist agree in stressing the democratic elementin the institutions they' defend and the theories they advocate.This acceptance of democracy as the highest form of politicalor social organization is the sign of a basic agreement in theultimate aims of modern social and political institutions."2 Yetthe term continues to preoccupy political scientists and politicalphilosophers. The reason lies most probably in the undeniablefact, that the majör components of democracy such as equality,self government, sovereignity, representation, majority ruleencompass according to the prevailing "Zeitgeisf'a differentmeaning.