A system of government where all of the people share in directing the activities of the state was called a DEMOCRACY. This type of government first arose in some of the ancient Greek city-states, though slaves and women did not participate. The modern DEMOCRACIES of the West developed over time, tracing back to the Magna Carta agreement signed by King John of England in the 13th Century. Government run by elected representatives of the people was the basic concept of modern DEMOCRACY. DEMOCRACY made possible unprecedented personal and economic freedom, and the world's strongest economies to date.
