Democracy is a system of government in which power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or through freely elected representatives. The word "democracy" comes from the Greek words "demos", meaning people, and "kratos" meaning power; so democracy can be thought of as "power of the people". In a democracy, the people have a say in how they are governed and can participate in the decision-making process through voting and other means.

Some key principles of democracy include individual autonomy, the idea that no one should be subject to rules imposed by others, and the will of the people, which is the idea that a democracy is government on behalf of all the people according to their will. Democracies are based on the rule of law, which means that everyone is subject to the same laws and no one is above the law.

It is important to note that there are different types of democracies, such as direct democracy, where citizens meet to discuss all policy and make decisions by majority rule, and representative democracy, where citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf.

In summary, democracy is a system of government where power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or through elected representatives. It is based on the principles of individual autonomy, the will of the people, and the rule of law.