Final answer:
Democracy is a form of government where political power is vested in the people, who can exercise it directly or through elected officials. Key features include equal access to power, free and fair elections, protection of human rights, and rule of law ensuring fairness to all citizens.
Step-by-step explanation:
Democracy is a form of government that is based on the principle of the rule of the people. In this system, political power is held by the citizens, who can exercise it directly or through their elected representatives. A democracy strives to provide all individuals, regardless of socioeconomic status, with an equal voice in shaping state policy and making decisions that affect society.
There are several key characteristics of a democracy:
- All citizens have equal access to political power and the right to vote.
- Citizens regularly choose and replace the government through free and fair elections.
- There is active participation by the populace in politics and civic life.
- Human rights and civil liberties are universally recognized and protected.
- A rule of law exists where laws apply equally and fairly to all members of society.
In a direct democracy, all decisions are made through the participation of every citizen, typically via voting. This is contrasted with a representative democracy, like that of the United States, where the populace elects representatives to make decisions and pass laws on their behalf, reflecting majority rule, with the idea that the majority's opinion holds more sway than that of the minority.