Exploring ideas of Democracy in history, philosophy and contemporary practice, this book introduces and critically examines the different senses in which democracies - whether direct, representative, deliberative or radical - invoke the ideal of 'rule by the people'. Democracy combines comparison of historical models, from those of ancient Athens and the early modern Republican traditions, with a sustained focus on contemporary trends and debates in political philosophy. It addresses the relationship of democracy to other key concepts such as liberty, equality and citizenship, aspects of political struggle (gender, disability and the environment) and alternative economic systems. It explores each of these theoretical issues via topical examples, ranging from the small-scale experiments in local democratic control to national voting systems to international issues such as the European Union, climate change, and the possibility of global government. Thus the book aims to give the reader a strong sense both of the many-sided nature of 'democracy' as an ideal, and of its ongoing critical force.