History of democracy
Democracy is a way of making decisions. It means that everyone who lives in a certain place can have a say in how things are run. It is a type of government, which means it is the way a country is organized.
There have been forms of democracy since ancient times. Many people believe that democracy began in the city-state of Athens, Greece in the 5th century BCE. Athens was the first place to give ordinary people (not just Kings or nobles) the power to have a say in the government. They did this by having special meetings (called an assembly) and most of the citizens of Athens could go and vote on important decisions that affected the whole city.
Democracy has changed a lot since then, but it is still the same basic idea. Citizens get the chance to have their voices heard by the government, usually through voting. Depending on the type of democracy, there might be different ways to participate, like voting for representatives or directly voting on laws.
The idea of democracy spread throughout the world over the centuries, across Europe, to North and South America, and to lots of different countries. In some countries, it was adopted and adapted to local customs. In others, it was forced onto people by conquerors.
Throughout history, people have been fighting to make democracy more fair, to give more people the right to participate, and to make sure everyone's voice is heard. Even today, different countries and groups of people are debating how to make government more just.
There have been forms of democracy since ancient times. Many people believe that democracy began in the city-state of Athens, Greece in the 5th century BCE. Athens was the first place to give ordinary people (not just Kings or nobles) the power to have a say in the government. They did this by having special meetings (called an assembly) and most of the citizens of Athens could go and vote on important decisions that affected the whole city.
Democracy has changed a lot since then, but it is still the same basic idea. Citizens get the chance to have their voices heard by the government, usually through voting. Depending on the type of democracy, there might be different ways to participate, like voting for representatives or directly voting on laws.
The idea of democracy spread throughout the world over the centuries, across Europe, to North and South America, and to lots of different countries. In some countries, it was adopted and adapted to local customs. In others, it was forced onto people by conquerors.
Throughout history, people have been fighting to make democracy more fair, to give more people the right to participate, and to make sure everyone's voice is heard. Even today, different countries and groups of people are debating how to make government more just.