What is the Meaning & Definition of Universal suffrage
Democracy is a system in which citizens choose their representatives. And universal suffrage is the main mechanism of citizen participation. It consists of the right to vote in elections. Nowadays, in democratic countries there is universal suffrage in a standardized way and applies to the entire population over 18. This is the general rule, although there are variants in each nation. For example, most age and the right to vote is exercised from the 15 years in Iran and from 21 in Ivory Coast. There are also some legal limitations when it comes to being able to vote from the age of majority: is having no criminal background, not being a foreigner or not having a mental health problem. There is, therefore, a standard (all adult citizens of a country can decide by their vote who will be their representatives) and some exceptions and limitations that each State specifies in their electoral laws.
Universal suffrage did not exist in the old regime (with prior to the French Revolution of 1789) and citizen participation was limited to those belonging to the nobility. In the century XVlll, a number of philosophers spurred a new current of thought (the Enlightenment). They were proposing profound social reforms and considered that democracy should be the system accepted in the civilized nations. These ideas were implemented gradually in Europe, United States and were spreading around the world. Initially, the first democratic systems did not accept a full universal suffrage, since there were many limitations: women could not vote or neither could in certain countries belonging to some ethnic groups.
These restrictions were correcting and gradually it was recognized to women the right to vote. It was a process slow and contentious in the majority of cases. It is well known the struggle of the suffragettes, a women's movement that swept in many Nations at the end of the nineteenth century and early twentieth Centuries. These women vindicated the rights of women and one of them was the right to vote. Their struggle had its fruits and the female vote was extended to the majority of Nations. He could not speak of something universal, if actually involved only a portion of the population.
Political language uses an idea to sum up the meaning of universal suffrage: one person, one vote. This means that, leaving aside certain limitations and exceptions such as those already mentioned, all citizens of legal age is entitled to participate in the elections, regardless of their sex, race or social status.