The second step, empowerment, was achieved when the representative assembly attained real political power. This initially occurred in England, where Parliament (England’s representative assembly) gradually wrested power from the English monarch.

An empowered representative assembly is known as a representative government. A representative government is not democratic, however, unless its representatives are elected by the people. Initially, the power to votewas restricted to a wealthy elite (via property requirements);

International Day of Democracy September 15, 2013