Skip to Main Content
EvCC banner with photo of library stacks.

Democracy: What is it?

Learn more about democracy, voting, and the electoral college. Find primary sources, podcasts, books, videos and essays on the past, present and future of democracy.

Democracy Is Not

"Democracy is not a spectator sport."

-- Lotte E. Scharfman (attribution)

 

"Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part to help build what we called the Beloved Community, a nation and world society at peace with itself."

-- John Lewis

The New York Times, July 30, 2020

You Are Here

Skip to main content
 
A group of people talking picketing and moving.
Illustration by Christoph Niemann; Animation by Olivia Blanc

The Future of Democracy

A special series from The New Yorker.

Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History

Politically, the five nations of the Iroquois Confederacy organized themselves into a democratic form of government that predated the U.S. system of government by centuries. The Seneca and Mohawk sent representatives to one legislative house, while representatives of the Oneida and Cayuga met in another, with the Onondaga serving as tiebreakers during debate.  more...

Iroquois Confederacy. (2015). Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History.

Login with your (Canvas) username and password.

Gale World History Online Collection

Democracy is a theoretical philosophy of governmental representation that has been applied to political systems worldwide. Literally meaning "rule by the people," a democracy is a system in which a nation's citizens exercise power directly or through elected representatives to serve them in a governing body. On a symbolic level, democracy is often promoted as a system that offers equality and freedom. more....

Democracy. (2018). Gale World History Online Collection.

Login with your (Canvas) username and password.

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Normative democratic theory deals with the moral foundations of democracy and democratic institutions, as well as the moral duties of democratic representatives and citizens... Normative democracy theory aims to provide an account of when and why democracy is morally desirable as well as moral principles for guiding the design of democratic institutions and the actions of citizens and representatives. more...

Democracy. (revised, 2024). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.