Democracy is the fastest growing type of government in the world. More and more countries are revolting against their dictators and parliaments and evolving into Democracies. Democracy means the people are sovereign, government by the people. Representative institutions, therefore, derive their authority from the people and are responsible to the people. According to democratic theory, elections, political parties, and representative legislatures are means of implementing popular sovereignty. Most Americans are not only liberals, in the classical sense of believing in individual liberty, but are also democrats since they believe 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. Some communist countries tend to call themselves democratic, and the mere fact that a government is elected by a majority of the popular vote does not of itself guarantee a democracy. .
Forms of Democracy date back to about 500 BC where Cleisthenes, a Greek statesman and regarded as the founder of Athenian Democracy, led the government of Athens. 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 United States is a unique body because of how and why it started as well as its geographical location.
