0 the belief in freedom and equality between people, or a system of government based on this belief, in which power is either held by elected representatives or directly by the people themselves -- 民主；民主思想；民主政體
A strong opposition is vital to a healthy democracy.
There cannot be true democracy without reform of the electoral system.
Sweden is often held up as an example of a successful social democracy.
The recent free elections mark the next step in the country's progress towards democracy.
Western governments should be giving more aid to the emerging democracies of the Third World.
Advocates of market liberalization commonly worry that democracies will eschew economically rational policies because voters cannot tolerate short-term pain on the promise of long-term gain.
The demand for redistribution is fairly inelastic across industrialized democracies.
Further, while the number of new parties decreases gradually as democracies age, the support for new entrants follows no clear unidirectional pattern across time.
