1. (n.) Government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is retained and directly exercised by the people.

2. (n.) Government by popular representation; a form of government in which the supreme power is retained by the people, but is indirectly exercised through a system of representation and delegated authority periodically renewed; a constitutional representative government; a republic.

3. (n.) Collectively, the people, regarded as the source of government.

4. (n.) The principles and policy of the Democratic party, so called.

absolute monarchy aristocracy autarchy autocracy autonomy coalition government collective farm collectivism collectivity collegiality colonialism common ownership commonwealth communal effort communion communism community constitutional government constitutional monarchy cooperation cooperative society dictatorship dominion rule duarchy duumvirate dyarchy federal government federation feudal system garrison state gerontocracy heteronomy hierarchy hierocracy home rule kibbutz kolkhoz limited monarchy martial law meritocracy militarism military government mob rule mobocracy monarchy neocolonialism ochlocracy oligarchy pantisocracy patriarchate patriarchy police state profit sharing public ownership pure democracy regency representative democracy representative government republic self-determination self-government sharecropping social democracy socialism state ownership stratocracy technocracy thearchy theocracy totalitarian government totalitarian regime town meeting triarchy triumvirate tyranny welfare state