Democracy is a form of government in which the people have the power to choose their leaders and make decisions about their lives. The term democracy comes from two Greek words, demos (people) and kratos (power). The most common form of democracy is a REPUBLIC, which is a state in which the people elect representatives to make laws and govern on their behalf. Democracy is also an IDEOLOGY, which is a set of beliefs and values that guide a society's political, economic, and social systems. In Ireland, democracy is known as EIRE, which is derived from the Gaelic word for 'FREE'. Elena, a female given name, is derived from the Greek word for 'LIGHT', and is often used to symbolize the enlightenment of democracy.