Independence: Democracy vs. Autocracy

The power and strength of government come from the people in a democracy. The word “democracy” comes from two Greek words: “demos” meaning “people” and “kratos” meaning “power” or “authority.” The United States is a democracy.

Some countries have autocratic governments. The word “autocracy,” the opposite of democracy, comes from the Greek words: “autos” meaning “self” and “kratos” meaning “power.” In an autocratic government, one person or group holds all the power, without the participation, or sometimes even the consent, of the people.

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