The importance of democracy as a system of government the reader must remember that this sovereignty rests with the whole people, who rule either directly or through representatives. In the contemporary world, democracy is closely associated with the idea of choosing governments by periodic free multiparty elections.

The chief elements of representative democracy are: Freedom of speech and expression; Periodic free elections; the right to form competing parties to contest these elections; a government which is responsible to the legislature and to public opinion. Where one or more of these elements is absent, the system is unlikely to be genuinely democratic.

There has also been pressure for more democracy at a lower level, particularly in the way that work is organised. The social conditions for stable democratic government have been considered, with the level of economic development. Thus, the advanced capitalist societies are nearly all representative democracies.