Democracy
de·moc·ra·cy
noun
- 1.a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives:
Democracy is a system of government where citizens exercise power by voting and deliberation.
In a direct democracy, the citizenry as a whole directly forms a participatory governing body and vote directly on each issue.
In indirect democracy, the citizenry governs indirectly through the selection of representatives or delegates from among themselves, typically by election or, less commonly, by sortition.
These select citizens then meet to form a governing body, such as a legislature or jury.
Some governments combine both direct and indirect democratic governance, wherein the citizenry selects representatives to administer day-to-day governance, while also reserving the right govern directly through popular initiatives, referendums (plebiscites), and the right of recall.
In a constitutional democracy the powers of the majority are exercised within the framework of a representative democracy, but the constitution limits majority rule, usually through the provision by all of certain universal rights, such as freedom of speech or freedom of association.[31][32]