démocratie

Démocratie is a form of government in which supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections. The term derives from the Greek words demos, meaning "people," and kratos, meaning "rule."

There are several forms of democracy. Direct democracy, where citizens participate directly in decision-making, is rare in modern states due to practical challenges of scale. Representative democracy, the most common form, involves citizens electing officials to make decisions on their behalf. Within representative democracy, there are further distinctions, such as presidential systems, parliamentary systems, and semi-presidential systems, each with different arrangements of executive and legislative power.

Key principles of democracy include political equality, majority rule with protection for minority rights, freedom of speech and assembly, and the rule of law. Democratic governments are typically characterized by a constitution that outlines the rights and responsibilities of citizens and the structure of government. The process of democratization, the transition from non-democratic to democratic governance, is a complex and often ongoing phenomenon studied in political science. While widely considered an ideal form of governance, democracies face ongoing challenges related to participation, representation, and the potential for polarization.