Democracy is a system of government in which all citizens of a nation, granted equal representation regardless of race, religion, gender, or social class, exercise power directly or elect representatives to lead them. Democracy consists of an electoral system in which representatives can be chosen and replaced, the active participation of citizens in the government, the protection of the human rights of all of the citizens, and a rule of law that applies equally to all citizens. The system originated in 5th century BC-era Greece, and it has since been opposed to dictatorship or tyranny, two rival systems.