Churchill's statement that "democracy is the worst form of government except all others that have been tried" is deliberately provocative and intended to challenge the simplistic ideal of reader that democracy is flawless. There are approximately 114 democracies in the world today (Wong, October 3 lecture). A figure that has increased rapidly over the last century not necessarily because democracy is the best form of government, but above all because in practice, under stable social, economic and political conditions, it presents fewer limitations than other forms of government. Whether it is the transparency of democratic government or the prevalence of majority rule, all subdivisions of democracy benefit and hinder its people. While we agree with Churchill's statement, one must understand that we do not live in a utopian society or a perfect form of government, and that one must have tolerance for the shortcomings of democracy. The next essay will compare the strengths and weaknesses of democracy to other forms of government and attempt to answer Churchill's claim as to why democracy is thus far unsurpassed. An undeniable strength of every democracy is the independence, freedom and rights that it guarantees. gives to its citizens. In modern democracies all citizens should have an equal impact in government affairs, an equal right to power and also be equal before the law. The philosopher Benjamin Constant writes in his comparison of ancient and modern liberty that modern "governments have new duties... [to] show more respect for the customs, affections, and independence of individuals." Constant's further assessment that modern governments will incorporate them and that trade, in addition to being paper-free...could decrease wealth inequality, proved too idealistic to count as work. The limits of democracy are clear, the complexity of its governance, social divisions and other political, economic and social shortcomings dwarf its successes. Furthermore, one could argue that democracy would not be as attractive as it is today if the world had not witnessed the repression of authoritarian government. The lack of personal freedoms, rapid changes and many other flaws of ancient democracy, fascism and communism are contrary to what people desire and consequently illuminate what democracy stands for, favoring its growing prevalence in today's world . Just as the late philosopher Aristotle said: “Man is by nature a political animal” (Wong/Kopstein, September 12 lecture). People want political power and so far democracy is their best attempt to get it.