In contemporary usage, democracy is often understood to be the same as liberal democracy. This contemporary understanding of democracy to a large degree differs from how the term was originally defined and used by the ancient Greeks in the Athenian democracy political regime.The word democracy originates from the Greek δημοκρατíα from δημος meaning "the people", plus κρατειν meaning "to rule", and the suffix íα; the term therefore means "rule by the people." The term is also sometimes used as a measurement of how much influence a people has over their government, as in how much democracy exists. Anarchism and communism (as in the final stage of social development according to Marxist theory) are social systems that employ a form of direct democracy, and have no state independent of the people themselves.
Liberal democracy is sometimes the de facto form of government, while other forms are technically the case; for example, Canada has a monarchy, but is in fact ruled by a democratically elected Parliament.While democracy per se implies only a system of government defined and legitimized by elections, modern democracy can be characterized more fully by the following institutions:
A constitution which limits the powers and controls the formal operation of government, whether written, unwritten or a combination of the two.
.Election of public officials, conducted in a free and just manner
.The right to vote and to stand for election (also see Universal suffrage)
.Freedom of expression (speech, assembly, etc.)
.Freedom of the press and access to alternative information sources
.Freedom of association
.Equality before the law and due process under the rule of law
.Educated citizens informed of their rights and civic responsibilities.
Some summarize the definition of democracy as being "majority rule with minority rights."