Rule by law. Democracies are not controlled by the whims of a leader, but they are governed by

laws that apply to leaders and citizens equally.

Meaningful political participation by citizens. By itself, a citizen's right to vote is not a good measure of democracy. The government must respond in some way to citizen demands. If they vote, the candidate they choose must actually take office. If they contact government in other ways -writing, protesting, phoning-officials must respond.

The degree to which a government fulfills these criteria is the degree to which it can be considered democratic. Examples of such governments include Great Britain, France, Japan and the United States.
Whats the most important idea of this paragraph?

The most important idea of this paragraph is that democracies are governed by laws that apply to leaders and citizens equally, and meaningful political participation by citizens is necessary for a democracy to function properly.

The most important idea of this paragraph is that a democratic government is governed by laws that apply to leaders and citizens equally and allows for meaningful political participation by citizens.

The most important idea of this paragraph is that democracies are governed by laws that apply equally to both leaders and citizens, and that meaningful political participation by citizens is crucial in a democratic system. The paragraph emphasizes that the government must respond to citizen demands, not only through voting but also through other forms of engagement such as writing, protesting, or contacting officials. These criteria determine the level of democracy in a government.