What is the short definition of democracy?

“The word democracy itself means rule by the people. A democracy is a system where people can change their rulers in a peaceful manner and the government is given the right to rule because the people say it may.”[ 6] Origins of Democracy.

What is the best definition of democracy?

Full Definition of democracy 1a : government by the people especially : rule of the majority. b : a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.

What is a democracy according to Oxford dictionary?

1. Government by the people; that form of government in which the sovereign power resides in the people as a whole, and is exercised either directly by them (as in the small republics of antiquity) or by officers elected by them.

Who is the father of democracy?

Cleisthenes
Although this Athenian democracy would survive for only two centuries, its invention by Cleisthenes, “The Father of Democracy,” was one of ancient Greece’s most enduring contributions to the modern world. The Greek system of direct democracy would pave the way for representative democracies across the globe.

Where does the word democracy come from and what does it mean?

Author of Democracy and its Critics and others. Democracy, literally, rule by the people. The term is derived from the Greek dēmokratiā, which was coined from dēmos (“people”) and kratos (“rule”) in the middle of the 5th century bce to denote the political systems then existing in some Greek city-states, notably Athens.

Why is it important for students to define democracy?

Because democracy is both a concrete form of government and a societal aspiration, it is important for students to know that they are trying to define something that is hard to define. Instead of trying to create one definition for democracy, lead students through the following steps:

What are the basic characteristics of a democracy?

Core Democratic Characteristics. Democracy is government in which power and civic responsibility are exercised by all adult citi- zens, directly, or through their freely elected rep- resentatives. Democracy rests upon the principles of majority rule and individual rights.

Who is the author of democracy by the people?

Sterling Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Yale University. Author of Democracy and its Critics and others. Democracy, literally, rule by the people.

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