Author and Page information Democracy (“rule by the people” when
translated from its Greek meaning) is seen as one of the
ultimate ideals that modern civilizations strive to create, or
preserve. Democracy as a system of governance is supposed to
allow extensive representation and inclusiveness of as many
people and views as possible to feed into the functioning of a
fair and just society. Democratic principles run in line with
the ideals of universal freedoms such as the right to free
speech. Importantly, democracy supposedly serves to check
unaccountable power and manipulation by the few at the expense
of the many, because fundamentally democracy is seen as a form
of governance by the people, for the people. This is often
implemented through elected representatives, which therefore
requires free, transparent, and fair elections, in order to
achieve legitimacy. The ideals of democracy are so appealing to
citizens around the world, that many have sacrificed their
livelihoods, even their lives, to fight for it.