The interpretation of democracy varies from one to another based on people's belief and point of view. Some defined democracy as "Government by the people exercised either directly or through elected representative" while others believe "In a democracy government we the people, have the right to run the government and if we are not satisfied with the government, we have to power to change it." The meaning of democracy leave a lot of room for further interpretation. Emile Durkheim, a functionalist wrote The Normality of Crime and Karl Marx along with Frederick Engle who is the author of Manifesto of the Communist Party, each have different perspective views in democracy.
Durkheim states that "crime is normal because it is completely impossible for any society entirely free of it to exist." Which means that crime is very usual and necessary part of every society. He later explained that in order for law and morality to go through possible changes "the collective sentiments are only in the state of plasticity necessary to assume new form, but sometimes it even contributes to determining beforehand the shape they will take on."
Cover of the Communist Manifesto’s initial publi...
Karl Marx (1818-1883)
A portrait of Karl Marx.(p43) When a society permits changes then society also permits crime. Vice versa, if there is no crime, it's clearly that change was not possible. Durkheim wrote " Indeed, how often is it only an anticipation of the morality to come, a progression toward what will be !" To make progress, the people or the individual must be able to express their self and belief. In this sense we predict that Durkheim feels that democracy is a system of society that allow changes to take place and in order for these changes to occur, we as the people have to put forth effort and let ours voice be heard. In a different...