7. Economic Freedom
People in a democracy must have some form of economic freedom. This means that the government
allows some private ownership of property and businesses, and that the people are allowed to choose
their own work and labor unions. The role the government should play in the economy is open to
debate, but it is generally accepted that free markets should exist in a democracy and the state should
not totally control the economy. Some argue that the state should play a stronger role in countries
where great inequality of wealth exists due to past discrimination or other unfair practices.