Since the day's democracy began, it has been the fastest growing type of government in the world. Democracy means the people are sovereign, government by the people. Representative institutions derive their authority from the people and are responsible to the people. Democrats favored low tariffs, hard money, antimonopoly, and a hand's off governmental policy toward the economy. Most Americans were not only democrats, but in the classical sense of believing in individual liberty, they were also liberals since they believed in equality, majority rule, with recognition of the rights of minorities, and government that is responsive and responsible to a broad electorate. Democracy also includes freedom of speech, press, and assembly; freedom to form opposition political parties and to run for office, commitment to individual dignity and to equal opportunities for people to develop their full potential. From this period to today, Democracy has reigned as one of the most powerful forms of government. John Locke said in his "Second Treatise of Civil Government" (1690), "all men were fundamentally equal in the sense that no man had jurisdiction over any other man. Each individual was equal and free to judge his own causes and to protect his interests against all other men." Under the umbrella of democracy the American States and the federal government have grown politically and socially. The foundations of the democratic process in America were completely different from anywhere else on the globe at that time. This is because in the United States, the Democratic Party was commonly referred to as the party of the "common man." It received this title by implementing agrarian policies, incendiaries, and by splitting the property of the rich, and dividing it amongst the poor. The Whigs typically criticized them for this. Their policies included a paternalistic Government that would nurture business, protect the industrial aspect of the nation from cheap foreign competition, and provide a secure market for growing American cities.
