2 Universal suffrage and participation.Liberal democracies enable and encourage political participation from all members of the citizenry, irrespective of their gender, ethnicity, religion or socio-economic status. Everyone can vote, run for public office and serve in the public administration. This ensures that all voices are heard, all parties and policies can be scrutinised, and elected officials are representative of the needs and desires of the constituency. The underlying principle is that government can only proceed with the consent of the governed.
