demokratisoivaa

Demokratisoiva is a Finnish present active participle and adjective derived from the verb demokratisoida, meaning to democratize or to introduce democratic practices. It is used to describe actions, processes, or actors that aim to introduce or expand democratic principles, institutions, and norms. The form demokratisoiva can function as an attributive modifier (such as demokratisoiva toiminta) or as a predicative adjective in sentences.

The partitive singular form demokratisoivaa is used when the participle modifies a noun in the partitive case, for example in phrases such as demokratisoivaa politiikkaa (politics that democratize) or demokratisoivaa toimintaa (democratizing activity). Like other Finnish participles, demokratisoiva agrees with the noun it modifies in number and case, and its inflected forms reflect the syntactic context.

Usage and scope: In political science and public discourse, demokratisoiva describes reforms, programs, or policies intended to increase citizen participation, accountability, transparency, and the rule of law. It can refer to electoral system improvements, decentralization, civil society strengthening, or other initiatives designed to broaden democratic participation and legitimacy. The term is primarily descriptive and neutral, signaling the objective of democratization rather than judging its success.

Etymology: The word is formed from demokratia (democracy) and the verb demokratisoida, with the Finnish participle suffix -va/-vä and standard case-inflection patterns.

See also: demokratisointi, demokratia, poliittinen reformi, järjestelmän liberalisointi.