Politics in one form or another is an integral part of the life of every citizen, because the economic and social situation in the country affects the state of society. Moreover, in most developed countries there is democracy, and a person can directly participate in the life of his country. To ensure this right, certain legal norms have been introduced. They are necessary to neutralize the riots and establish maximum equality.
Suffrage is the established legal norms that are aimed at regulating the participation of citizens in such a procedure as elections. In addition, the laws under consideration affect the rules for holding elections, the procedure for recalling officials, and the relationship between representative organizations and voters. Legal norms also determine the sequence of elections and the rules for the final tabulation of the voting results.
In almost every country, there is an active and passive suffrage that allows every citizen to contribute to the political situation. Let us examine the meaning of these terms.
Active suffrage implies the possibility of a person participating in the elections of various officials and deputies. Also, a citizen can vote in referenda, that is, each individual, upon reaching 18 years of age, has the right to elect any officials. Why is this right called active? The point is that in order to elect any official, a person needs to perform certain actions. In particular, fill out the received newsletter and put it in a special box.
Active suffrage is valid for almost all citizens of the country, regardless of their religious beliefs, language, race, position, nationality, origin, and so on. However, it is worth noting some nuances here. People who are in correctional colonies and citizens recognized by the court as legally incompetent do not have the right to elect.
Active suffrage can be either direct or indirect. In the first case, it is assumed that deputies will be elected directly by citizens. Indirect law implies that people put forward electors who are required to decide who needs to be elected. A similar system is most popular in developed countries.
Passive suffrage is the ability of a citizen to run for election. There are some limitations. In each country they are different. For example, in the United States, only a citizen who has reached 35 years of age can become president.
Universal suffrage implies that all adults and capable citizens of the country are given the opportunity to elect an official. In addition, the principle of universality implies passive suffrage given to a person who has passed all the established qualifications. Such a right began to be used in practice only in the twentieth century. Previously, there were property and sexual qualifications.
To summarize. Passive and active suffrage allows each citizen to take a direct part in the political life of the country. Such legal norms are a necessary sign of a developed state. Despite the fact that almost anyone can use voting rights, except in some cases, there are certain rules that exclude the possibility of confusion. In particular, these are qualifications and restrictions. In the modern world they are extremely flexible and democratic. However, similar legal norms were introduced not so long ago. Previously qualifications were quite tough.