Final answer:
Democracy is a form of government where citizens hold political power and make decisions either directly or through elected representatives.
Step-by-step explanation:
Democracy can be defined as the "rule of the people"; it is a form of government where the citizens hold political power and exercise that power by voting directly or by voting through their elected representatives. In a representative democracy, people elect representatives to make political decisions and pass laws on their behalf, while in a direct democracy, people make all political decisions and pass laws themselves.
Democracies ensure certain basic rights for their citizens, such as the freedom to organize political parties, hold elections, and express individual speech. In a democratic society, the government is limited in its powers and is constrained by laws and regulations that ideally reflect the will of the majority of its people.
In summary, democracy is a form of government where the power to govern is held by the majority of citizens, who either directly participate in political decisions or elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf.