Democracy<span> </span><span>in modern usage, is a system of government in which the citizens exercise power directly or elect representatives from among themselves to form a governing body, such as a </span>parliament.[1]Democracy is sometimes referred to as "rule of the majority".<span> Democracy was originally conceived in </span>Classical Greece, where political representatives were chosen by a jury from amongst the male citizens: rich and poor.<span>[citation needed]</span><span> The English word dates to the 16th century, from the older </span>Middle French<span> and </span>Middle Latin<span> equivalents.</span>