Mary Morgan tweets, external Prepping for #BBCDemocracyDay debate on African democracy w @AMneina, @NAkufoAddo, @JasonNjoku & Robtel Neajai Pailey. Join us online at 11!

The UK government has emerged as the most open and transparent in the world, according to global rankings looking at access to public data. Watch a BBC interview with the man who invented the web - Sir Tim Berners-Lee - who says that while the UK is doing well, it is also one of the worst countries for spying via the internet.

Utterly B. Groovy tweets, external: @BBC_HaveYourSay #democracy debates are all about personality! Where's the breakdown of all the party policies. That's what matters most!

Is democracy wasted on some people - Women's Hour asks?

Panellists (left to right): Joan Hoey (Economist Intelligence Unit), Douglas Carswell (UKIP MP), Sadiq Khan (Labour MP), Ken Clarke (Conservative MP), Heba Raouf Ezzat (activist from Egypt's Tahrir protests).

Follow Democracy Day on Woman's Hour - live now. The Radio 4 programme kicks off with an interview with Islam and democracy panellist, Shurooq Amin.

Sue Reece tweets, external: #DemocracyDay 750th anniversary De Montfort parliament. How many realise how much blood has been split for the rights we have today? Vote!

Image source, EIU

Alongside the rise to prominence of populist movements, there has been an upsurge of popular protest in many parts of the world in recent years. The Economist Intelligence Unit has put together a map charting protests between 2009-2014.

Danielle tweets, external: @BBC_HaveYourSay should the parties tell us what the policies are so the public would have a better understanding

An interesting audience show of hands in the democracy debate:

Chairman Nick Robinson asks: Who wants to be consulted more on policies between elections? More direct democracy outside elections? Fewer than half the audience - not necessarily representative of the British public - put their hands up.

Steve Weeks tweets, external: #DemocracyDay It's a Trade-Off. Do we want the power to be representative, effective, competent, consumerist or ideological?

Angus Ricks from Oxford emails: Democracy is not about having to participate and be active all the time, it is the ability not to have to worship a Monarch, or a dictator, or a whatever; it's the ability to criticise the government and not be locked away. When a democracy fails it is not due to the lack of participation, it's through a lack of resistance to tyrants and bullies. The current democracy in the UK is far from fair, and it needs improving, but we need to appreciate our wealth of freedoms compares to many other areas of the world.

Sadiq Khan, Labour MP: Big ideas come from bottom-up, not just top-down.

Alexander Ballingder tweets, external: Democracy is overrated. Leaders should be chosen by a Takeshi's castle style television show. Or a drinking contest #BBCDemocracyDay

Andy Williamson tweets, external: It's somehow comforting to see that #BBCDemocracyDay is trending behind the #cricket and #CoronationStreet. So very British :-)

Sadiq Khan, Labour shadow justice minister: In UK we need a "people's convention". We need to speak to people round the country, discuss how to make them more engaged in democracy. There have been referendums - whether to have a London mayor, the Scottish yes or no to independence vote. But UK is the most centralised democracy in the world.

Arpan tweets, external: Gap between values of the pol. parties and those of people is the reason for disengagement with democracy. #BBCDemocracyDay

BBC's Radio 4's Woman's Hour begins at 10 GMT. Stay tuned for a discussion about democracy.

Jamie Bartlett tweets, external: I hope the BBC will also take a decent critical look at the role - good & bad - the media play in our democracy. #BBCDemocracyDay