Which term signifies rule of the people?

• A. Totalitarianism
• B. Authoritarianism
• C. Power
• D. Democracy

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is who holds political power and how people participate in deciding who rules. Democracy is the system where authority comes from the people, who exercise sovereignty directly or through elected representatives, with equal political rights, regular elections, accountability, and the rule of law. This setup embodies rule by the people because citizens have a say in decisions and can hold leaders to account. In contrast, totalitarianism concentrates power in one authority and suppresses dissent; authoritarianism concentrates power with limited political pluralism; and power itself is simply the ability to influence outcomes, not a method for distributing political authority. So the term that best signifies rule of the people is democracy.