So what is Democracy? Democracy originates from the Greek words "demos" and "kratein", meaning the people to rule. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. The first form of democracy practiced was direct democracy or pure democracy. This form first flourished in the Greek city-state, but reached it fullest expression in ancient Athens. While practicing direct democracy, the people act as their own legislature. There are no representatives or leaders, the people make the laws themselves. This form of democracy has been used by many societies, but isn't found as much today. Direct democracy was only practical to use in smaller societies. Another form of democracy is called indirect democracy, or representative government, or republic. Each term refers to the same system, but has different leaders or representatives.
Diagram of US Federal Government and American Unio...
democracy & iran
Democracy FlagIndirect democracy is where the people elect representatives to rule in their interests. While using the republic form of independent democracy, the people elect legislators to make the laws for them through the legislative process. This form of democracy is used throughout the world today. A third form of democracy is pluralism. Pluralism is a variation of the republic. Since societies are usually very diverse, it is hard to attain a single majority on most issues. Pluralism realizes that an individual must join or organize with others that share their beliefs to achieve their political goals. Those that are few are less likely to get what they want compared to those that are great, but the groups must also be well organized. A few recent examples that have been successful include the National Rifle Association and MADD. Money also has a large influence on the effectiveness of...