民主主義

• 読み: みんしゅしゅぎ
• ローマ字: minshushugi
• 漢字の分解: 民 (min/tami) — people, citizens; 主 (shu/nushi) — master, main; 義 (gi) — righteousness, doctrine
• 発音: /miɴ.ɕɯ.ɕɯ.ɡi/

意味

Democracy; democratic principles. A system of government in which supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or through freely elected representatives.

One of the most fundamental political concepts in modern Japanese discourse. Commonly appears in compounds such as 自由民主主義 (liberal democracy), 議会制民主主義 (parliamentary democracy), and 直接民主主義 (direct democracy). The health of 民主主義 is a perennial topic in Japanese media, particularly in relation to voter turnout, political apathy, and the concentration of power.

例文

1. 民主主義が機能するためには、市民一人ひとりが政治に関心を持ち続けることが不可欠だ。
2. 選挙への無関心が続けば、民主主義の根幹が揺らぎかねないと専門家は警鐘を鳴らす。
3. 戦後日本は民主主義の定着を最重要課題の一つとして、教育制度の改革に取り組んだ。

使い方ガイド

場面: politics, history, education, international relations, media

トーン: neutral

起源と歴史

Formed from 民主 (minshu, people as master — from 民 people + 主 master/lord) and 主義 (shugi, principle/ism). A Meiji-era coinage that translated the Western concept of 'democracy' as governance by the people.

文化的背景

時代: Meiji–Contemporary

世代: All ages

社会的背景: General