Western democracies: meaning, definitions and examples

Used when referring to democratic countries in the Western part of the world, typically Europe and North America. Often implies a shared cultural or political heritage rooted in Enlightenment values.

• Western democracies have been working together to address global warming.
• The foreign policy of Western democracies is often aligned due to shared values.

Applicable to democracies that emphasize individual rights, civil liberties, and the rule of law. This term can be used more broadly than 'Western democracies' because it can include non-Western nations with similar political systems.

• Liberal democracies prioritize the protection of individual freedoms.
• The rise of populism poses a challenge to many liberal democracies.

Appropriate for describing any democracy where citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf. This term focuses more on the mechanism of governance rather than cultural or ideological aspects.

• In representative democracies, voters elect officials to legislate and govern.
• Most countries around the world nowadays function as representative democracies.