SALIVA

• Democracy is rule by the people, derived from the Greek words dēmos (“people”) and kratos (“rule”), and was coined in the middle of the 5th century BCE to denote the political systems then existing in some Greek city-states, notably Athens.
• Democracy is a system of government in which laws, policies, leadership, and major undertakings of a state or other polity are directly or indirectly decided by the “people,” and states with democratic governments prevent rule by autocrats, guarantee fundamental individual rights, allow for a relatively high level of political equality, and rarely make war on each other.
• Democratic practices involve principles and activities that promote the ideals of democracy, such as participation, equality, and representation.
• Voting, political pluralism, freedom of speech and expression, rule of law, citizen participation, transparent government, decentralization, and free and fair elections are all elements of democracy.
• Representative Democracy: In a representative democracy, citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf.
• Participatory Democracy: Participatory democracy emphasizes direct citizen involvement in decision-making.
• Decision-making in representative democracy is delegated to elected officials, who deliberate and make decisions on behalf of the population.
• Decision-making in participatory democracy is more decentralized and involves direct input from citizens, for example, through town hall meetings, community assemblies, and referendums.
• Alternatives to undemocratic practices include civic education, ensuring media freedom, promoting public participation, and combatting corruption.