To best answer your question, I’ve provided several definitions and some historical context for you to consider.
There are many different types of government. There are monarchies—nations ruled by kings or queens. Some counties have dictatorships. Democracy has been adopted by most Western countries and is the system under which the United States operates. Democratic systems of government are categorized as governing bodies that are chosen through an electoral process. Democracy comes from the Greek words "demos" (the people) and "kratos" (rule). The first documented forms of democracy were in Ancient Greece, more than 2,000 years ago. Democracies involve the participation of everyday citizens and protect the rights of all. Finally, democracies are run by the rule of law. The United States is a representative democracy because citizens elect politicians who represent their best interests.
Starting in the 1600s, pilgrims traveled from England to the Americas in search of many things; one important pursuit was religious freedom. Puritans built colonies all over New England in hopes of forging a safe haven for their religious expression. From 1775 to 1783, the colonists fought against their former country, Great Britain, in the Revolutionary War. The colonists coined the now patriotic American slogan “No taxation without representation.” In other words, the colonists desired a representative democracy in which they would have a fair say over their taxes. By 1787, the leaders of the colonies hosted the Constitutional Convention. All thirteen colonies sent delegates to the convention, putting into practice the start of a representative democracy. Here, the rule of law was written, in the form of the Constitution. At the convention, the Founding Fathers developed a system by which the country would operate. There were to be three branches of government that would ensure checks and balances of power. In addition, the Bill of Rights was written to ensure protections of citizens. In 1787, the Constitution was ratified.
The three branches of government are the executive, judicial, and legislative. The legislative branch of government is what writes and determines our rule of law (with the help of the executive and judicial branches). The legislative branch of government is made up of the House and Senate, which collectively make up Congress. Members of Congress write laws, which are then argued on the Senate and House floors. These laws are voted upon and, with approval from the executive branch, are put into practice. Members of Congress are voted into power by the American people. As such, they are expected to write and vote on laws that represent the interests of their constituents. Through the checks and balances system, if Congress oversteps its power, the Executive branch has the authority to veto a bill. In addition, if a bill is made law, the American people have the ability to refute it through the judicial branch of government. It is through this system that democracies ensure that policies are designed to benefit the public good.
https://www.usa.gov/branches-of-government
https://www.usa.gov/how-laws-are-made
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