Democracy

__DEMOCRACY__


 * Democracy** is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives . The word comes from two Greek words: demos, meaning "the people," and kratein, meaning "to rule." These two words are joined together to form democracy, literally meaning "rule by the people"

In the French Revolution, political thinkers and philosophers (Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Rousseau) inspired the people by supporting the ideas from American Revolution (all men are equal) and insisting that freedom comes after the power of government is separated into judicial, legislative, and executive branches. The French citizens overthrew the king, and then set forth the "Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen,". This is a statement of revolutionary ideals written by the National Assembly. This document stated that” men are born and remain free and equal in rights” and that “ the aim of all political association is that preservation of the natural rights of man (liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression)”. Other articles of the famous document guaranteed citizens equal justice, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion. The National Assembly created a limited constitutional monarchy. The new constitution weakened the king’s authority and gave the Legislative Assembly the power to create French law.

Citations http://library.thinkquest.org/26466/history_of_democracy.html http://www.laughtergenealogy.com/bin/histprof/misc/french_rev.html http://evatt.org.au/news/democracy-past-present-future.html http://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/rschwart/hist151s03/french_rev_causes_consequences.htm http://www.constitution.org/fr/fr_drm.htm

No guiding question. 9/10