Democracy
Once described as "being given a choice in what you'll be told to do", democracy is considered by some worth dying for. But do we understand it? Our expert views are on hand:
Electoral returns
Trace democracy from its Greek origins to the nervous future. There's more than one way for rule by the people.
Vox populi
Do governments quake in the face of the masses, or does it depend who they are? Take a measure of people power.
The government always gets in
The number of demoracies has trebled in thirty years. It's certainly popular - but does democracy work?
Whoever you vote for...
Battles are fought in its name; it's exact nature can be quite slippery to define. What is democracy?
Gentle persuasion
George W Bush triumphed in the 2004 Presidential Election race - but for a while it looked as if Senator Kerry might unseat him. How was George able to keep the White House? What swings elections?