Where does the word "democracy" come from?

The word "democracy" comes from the Greek words "demos" and "kratia," which literally mean "people power." The modern word "democracy" emerged in 16th century France.

More specifically, "demos" is a reference to "common people," so a democracy etymologically suggests that it is a society that is ruled by the common people. Unlike the common contemporary connotation that democracy references a right of the people to elect leaders, Ezra Pound asserted in "The ABCs of Economics," written in 1933, that democracy is actually a responsibility of the people to protect their rights against the government through the careful selection of their leaders.