Democracy
Majority rule, representative republic — an experiment with varying results.
How We Say It
di·MOK·ruh·see
Where It Comes From
Greek dēmokratia — rule of the people. From dēmos (people) + kratos (power, rule). Athenian democracy excluded women, slaves, and foreigners — 'the people' was always a partial category.
How It's Been Used
Claimed by nearly every government on earth, including authoritarian ones. 'Democratic People's Republic' appears in the names of single-party states. In American use, contested between majoritarian and constitutional definitions — whether democracy means majority rule or protection of minority rights.