| − | '''Democracy''' is a form of government. The origin of the term is [[Greek]], from the words ''demos'' (people) and ''kratos'' (rule). Although it is a very broad classification, democracy is generally understood to refer to [[representative]], [[liberal]] democracy, in which the government is made up of ''representatives'' of the people, who are charged with the protection of ''liberties''. | + | '''Democracy''' is a form of government. The origin of the term is [[Greek]], from the words ''demos'' (people) and ''kratos'' (rule). Although many forms of government fall under this broad classification, the defining characteristic of a democracy is that the citizenry of a nation decides upon their form of government. |
| − | Although a number of societies have practised some form of democracy, the concept as it is understood today was invented in ancient [[Athens]], where citizens (not women or slaves) were allowed to vote in the Assembly which made the laws of the city-state. | + | The United States of American is an example of a [[representative]] democracy, in which the populace elects ''representatives'', who are charged with the protection of ''liberties''. |