Democracy is an egalitarian form of government in which all the citizens of a nation together determine public policy, the laws and the actions of their state, requiring that all citizens (meeting certain qualifications) have an equal opportunity to express their opinion. In practise, "democracy" is the extent to which a given system approximates this ideal, and a given political system is referred to as "a democracy" if it allows a certain approximation to ideal democracy. Although no country has ever granted all its citizens (i.e. including minors) the vote, most countries today hold regular elections based on egalitarian principles, at least in theory.

The most common system that is deemed "democratic" in the modern world is parliamentary democracy in which the voting public takes part in elections and chooses politicians to represent them in a Legislative Assembly. The members of the assembly then make decisions with a majority vote. A purer form is direct democracy in which the voting public makes direct decisions or participates directly in the political process. Elements of direct democracy exist on a local level and on exceptions on national level in many countries, though these systems coexist with representative assemblies.

The term comes from the Greek word δημοκρατία (dēmokratía) "rule of the people", which was coined from δῆμος (dēmos) "people" and κρατία (kratia) "rule", 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. Other cultures since Greece have significantly contributed to the evolution of democracy such as Ancient Rome, Europe, and North and South America. 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. 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.

Elements considered essential to democracy include freedom of political expression, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press, so that citizens are adequately informed and able to vote according to their own best interests as they see them. The term "democracy" is often used 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.

Democracy is often confused with the republic form of government. In some definitions of "republic," a republic is a form of democracy. Other definitions make "republic" a separate, unrelated term.

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• Criticisms of Democracy (5)
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See also:

• Science: Social Sciences: Political Science: Political Philosophy (156)
• Society: Politics: Alternative Political Systems (34)

• National Democratic Institute for International Affairs
  ndi.org
  Non-profit organization associated with the Democratic Party of the United States. Site describes current programs and research projects on the development of democracy, as well as a searchable resource exchange for democratic activists and practitioners.
• CITIDEP
  citidep.pt
  A non-profit, multi-national research institution on participatory democracy, with focus on the impact of information technologies. Site lists activities, research areas, papers, and events.
• CommonBorders
  commonborders.org
  A non-partisan organization of volunteer international election observers based in Victoria, British Columbia. Site describes activities in Latin America, lists goals and objectives, and provides application form.