Batanai Matsika 
HUMAN rights, free elections, inclusiveness, equality, freedom of assembly and expression, rule of law are some of the ideals that have been endorsed and are being promoted in modern day societies. Democracy is the fundamental component.
It is basically a form of government in which the people have the authority to choose their governing legislation.
The supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.
The big question, however, has been whether democracy creates a better opportunity for economic development?
Economic development refers to a broad process by which a nation improves the economic, political and social well-being of its people.
It is worth noting that the end game of economic development is not just growing the economy but growing it in a way that improves the quality of life for everyone in the region.
Scholars such as Milton Friedman have argued that a higher degree of rights fosters economic development.
A wealth of other studies suggest that democracy promotes economic liberalisation and that democracy is preferable for long-term and sustainable growth.
However, there is no consensus on the correlations between democracy and economic growth. An interesting case study is China.
Since the Asian financial crisis in 1997, China’s economic growth rate has never fallen below 5 percent and has even reached as high as 14 percent. In stark contrast, however, China records a decreasing trend in its democracy index.
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