In a democratic form of government, it is the people who technically or theoretically hold the power to choose their elected representatives, and they choose representatives from among the fellow citizens -- power is not hereditary or absolute like in other forms of government like a monarchy or a totalitarian regime where it is the party who generally selects a leader to represent them. The cornerstone of the democratic system is free and fair elections. Although there are different forms of government organization that are considered democratic such as a parliamentary system like England and a republic like France, another principle common to most democracies is that there is a balance of powers between the judiciary, the executive branch, and the legislative branch in a democracy.
