Liberal democracy
Liberal democracy, also called Western-style democracy, is a form of government that combines the organization of a democracy with ideas of liberal political philosophy. Common elements within a liberal democracy are: a representative democracy with multiple viable political parties and universal suffrage; a separation of powers into different branches of government, including an independent judiciary; the rule of law in everyday life as part of an open society; a market-based capitalist economy with private property; and state-guaranteed protections for the human rights, civil rights, civil liberties, and political freedoms of legally equal citizens.