Word of the Day: Democracy

democracy de-moc-ra-cy / dĭ-mŏk-rə-sē   noun 1. a form of government where the power is retained by the people either directly or through elected representatives Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education. Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1882 – 1945   2. a political unit that is governed by the people Democracy is “government of, by and for the people”. Abraham Lincoln, 1809 – 1865   3. the common people, particularly as it relates to their political power I swear to the Lord, I still can’t see, why Democracy means, everybody but me. Langston Hughes 1901 – 1967   4. the principles of political or social equality We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can’t have both. Louis D. Brandeis, 1856 – 1941   5. a social condition where society operates with equality of rights and privileges for all Democracy arises out of the notion that those who are equal in any respect are equal in all respects; because men are equally free, they claim to be absolutely equal. Aristotle, 384 BC – 322 BC