1. Democracy is a form of government in which all citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect
their lives. Ideally, this includes equal (and more or less direct) participation in the proposal,
development and passage of legislation into law. It can also encompass social, economic and cultural
conditions that enable the free and equal practice of political self-determination. The term comes from
the Greek: δημοκρατία – (dēmokratía) "rule of the people",*1+ which was coined from δῆμος (dêmos)
"people" and κράτος (Kratos) "power", in the middle of the 5th-4th century BC to denote the political
systems then existing in some Greek city-states, notably Athens following a popular uprising in 508
BC.[2]
According to some theories of democracy, popular sovereignty is the founding principle of such a
system.[3] However, the democratic principle has also been expressed as "the freedom to call
something into being which did not exist before, which was not given… and which therefore, strictly
speaking, could not be known."[4] This type of freedom, which is connected to human "natality," or the
capacity to begin anew, sees democracy as "not only a political system… *but+ an ideal, an aspiration,
really, intimately connected to and dependent upon a picture of what it is to be human—of what it is a
human should be to be fully human."[5]
While there is no specific, universally accepted definition of 'democracy',[6] equality and freedom have
both been identified as important characteristics of democracy since ancient times.[7] These principles
are reflected in all citizens being equal before the law and having equal access to legislative processes.
For example, in a representative democracy, every vote has equal weight, no unreasonable restrictions
can apply to anyone seeking to become a representative, and the freedom of its citizens is secured by
legitimized rights and liberties which are generally protected by a constitution.[8][9]
There are several varieties of democracy, some of which provide better representation and more
freedom for their citizens than others.[10][11] However, if any democracy is not structured so as to
prohibit the government from excluding the people from the legislative process, or any branch of
government from altering the separation of powers in its own favor, then a branch of the system can
accumulate too much power and destroy the democracy.[12][13][14] Representative Democracy,
Consensus Democracy, and Deliberative Democracy are all major examples of attempts at a form of
government that is both practical and responsive to the needs and desires of citizens.
Many people use the term "democracy" as shorthand for liberal democracy, which may include
elements such as political pluralism; equality before the law; the right to petition elected officials for
redress of grievances; due process; civil liberties; human rights; and elements of civil society outside the
government. In the United States, separation of powers is often cited as a central attribute, but in other

2. countries, such as the United Kingdom, the dominant principle is that of parliamentary sovereignty
(though in practice judicial independence is generally maintained). In other cases, "democracy" is used
to mean direct democracy. Though the term "democracy" is typically used in the context of a political
state, the principles are applicable to private organizations and other groups as well.
Majority rule is often listed as a characteristic of democracy. However, it is also possible for a minority to
be oppressed by a "tyranny of the majority" in the absence of governmental or constitutional
protections of individual or group rights. An essential part of an "ideal" representative democracy is
competitive elections that are fair both substantively[15] and procedurally.[16] Furthermore, freedom
of political expression, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press are considered to be essential, so
that citizens are adequately informed and able to vote according to their own best interests as they see
them.[17][18] It has also been suggested that a basic feature of democracy is the capacity of individuals
to participate freely and fully in the life of their society.[19]
Democracy has its formal origins in Ancient Greece,[20][21] but democratic practices are evident in
earlier societies including Mesopotamia, Phoenicia and India.[22] Other cultures since Greece have
significantly contributed to the evolution of democracy such as Ancient Rome,[20] Europe,[20] and
North and South America.[23] The concept of representative democracy arose largely from ideas and
institutions that developed during the European Middle Ages and the Age of Enlightenment and in the
American and French Revolutions.[24] Democracy has been called the "last form of government" and
has spread considerably across the globe.[25] The right to vote has been expanded in many jurisdictions
over time from relatively narrow groups (such as wealthy men of a particular ethnic group), with New
Zealand the first nation to grant universal suffrage for all its citizens in 1893.