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From Wikipedia:
To me it seems that most of the time when people use the word democracy, they are using it as shorthand for representative democracy and not direct democracy. However, they will always draw a correction from someone.
My question is, are people simply mistaken about the word democracy and automatically assume that people speak of direct democracy or is something else going on?
Democracy is a political government carried out either directly by the people (direct democracy) or by means of elected representatives of the people (Representative democracy). The term is derived from the Greek: δημοκρατία - (dēmokratía) "rule of the people",[1] which was coined from δῆμος (dêmos) "people" and κράτος (krátos) "power", in the middle of the fifth-fourth century BC to denote the political systems then existing in some Greek city-states, notably Athens following a popular uprising in 508 BC.[2] Even though there is no specific, universally accepted definition of 'democracy',[3] there are two principles that any definition of democracy includes: equality and freedom.[4][dubious – discuss] These principles are reflected in all citizens being equal before the law and having equal access to power.[5] and the freedom of its citizens is secured by legitimized rights and liberties which are generally protected by a constitution.[6][7]
To me it seems that most of the time when people use the word democracy, they are using it as shorthand for representative democracy and not direct democracy. However, they will always draw a correction from someone.
My question is, are people simply mistaken about the word democracy and automatically assume that people speak of direct democracy or is something else going on?
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