What is Democracy?
I. Government
a. Procedures and institutions that govern and rule people
i. “The Holy Trinity”
1. Executive
2. Legislative
3. Judicial
b. Politics
i. Process by which people who decide who shall govern and what policies shall be adopted
c. Politicians
i. People who fulfill the tasks of operating government
d. Political Science
i. The study of principles, procedures and structure of government and the analysis of political ideas, behavior and practices
II. Democracy
a. Democracy, which derives from the Greek word "demos," or "people," is defined, basically, as government in which the supreme power is vested in the people. In some forms, democracy can be exercised directly by the people; in large societies, it is by the people through their elected agents
i. Not found in the Declaration of Independence or U.S. Constitution
b. Core Democratic Characteristics
i. Democracy is government in which power and civic responsibility are exercised by all adult citizens, directly, or through their freely elected representatives.
ii. Democracy rests upon the principles of majority rule and individual rights. Democracies guard against all-powerful central governments and decentralize government to regional and local levels, understanding that all levels of government must be as accessible and responsive to the people as possible.
iii. Democracies understand that one of their prime functions is to protect such basic human rights as freedom of speech and religion; the right to equal protection under law; and the opportunity to organize and participate fully in the political, economic, and cultural life of society.
iv. Democracies conduct regular free and fair elections open to citizens of voting age.
v. Citizens in a democracy have not only rights, but also the responsibility to participate in the political system that, in turn, protects their rights and freedoms.
b. Direct Democracy
i. Government in which citizens vote on...