(a) Merits of Democracy:
(i)There is orderly transfer of power. People may resort to violence rather than to the ballot box, if there is no arrangement for orderly transfer of power.
(ii) Decisions reflect the wishes of the majority. The people have the opportunity to take part in the decisions of the government.
(iii) It provides for the rule of law, where everybody is equal before the law of the land.
(iv) It ensures political accountability of the rulers to the ruled, including the power of recall and replacement by the electorate.
(v) In a democracy, fundamental human rights are in place and guaranteed,.e.g. freedom of expression, association and assembly.
(iv) It equally guarantees the supremacy of the constitution. The actions of those in government are guided by the constitution.
(b) Demerits of Democracy:
(i) The existence of many political parties may lead to instability in government.
(ii) The opinion of the majority is usually forced on the people while the opinion of the minority is sometimes ignored.
(iii) Illiteracy and poverty make democracy difficult to practice because people may not be enlightened enough to fight for their rights or may be easily influenced by money and other material things.
(iv) Democracy is expensive to operate in terms of orgaisation of elections and maintenance of the legislature and other political institutions.
(v) It may lead to delay in taking decision, for example, the passing of 2000 budget in Nigeria.