ABSTRACT
Framing the Equity Debate Democracy, especially in today’s unipolar world, has become synonymous with equality and justice — even though history is replete with examples of functioning democracies that are inherently unequal and unjust. At a formal level, democracy is about exercising choices. It is about franchise and it is about one-person one-vote and one-vote one-value. At a deeper level we also associate democracy with rule of the law and institutions. The world expects democratic societies to respect civil liberties and human rights. It places great value in an impartial judicial process, through which people can get justice. Democratic societies take great pride in a legislature that makes laws and an executive and administrative system that follows these laws. They also give importance to the right to free speech and a media that functions within a competitive environment. But most importantly, democratic societies value the right to equality and are defi ned by the quality and vibrancy of democratic institutions.
