What makes a democracy unique compared to other forms of government?

A democracy is unique in that the people rule it by popular vote. This gives everyone in society, regardless of class, the same amount of political power. Contrast this with a monarchy or a dictatorship (where one person rules according to his or her whim) or an oligarchy (where a small group of people can make the major decisions for a country). 

Some would argue that democracies are the best form of government in that...

A democracy is unique in that the people rule it by popular vote. This gives everyone in society, regardless of class, the same amount of political power. Contrast this with a monarchy or a dictatorship (where one person rules according to his or her whim) or an oligarchy (where a small group of people can make the major decisions for a country). 

Some would argue that democracies are the best form of government in that the people, if taken as a group, will make the best decisions for themselves. They will not go to war unless its to ensure the nation's survival—people are not willing to vote themselves into a position where they may die. Also, the people will insist on efficient governance with minimal taxes because people do not vote for their property to be taken away without a good reason. Detractors of democracies claim that the people can be selfish and are often swayed by whoever is the best speaker at the time, regardless of his or her qualifications for office. Others claim that democracies are slow in that one has to get a vote to get anything accomplished; given the size of the population, this vote can be hard to acquire. Still, others claim that a democracy can crush the rights of the minority, thus isolating an entire group of people from the political process.