Democracy
Democracy means a system of social equality, where the people in power are elected by the people to be their representatives. Although there is no such thing as a 'world government' there are many different organisations and entities that have a large amount of power in deciding how the world is run. Some of these are democratically elected, others are not. Some groups are more powerful than others in making and enforcing their decisions. National governments, international organisations (like the UN, World Bank and IMF, and WTO), multinational corporations, banks, non-governmental organisations, citizen's movements and youth organisations all play a part in how the world is run.
In recent decades we have become increasingly interconnected with people all over the globe, and this has increased the need for rules to govern how we work together. As these rules are often made up by the rich powerful nations, poor countries are often at a disadvantage.
The term 'globalisation' is used to refer to the network of linkages and interconnections between countries and societies. The world has now reached such a state of interdependence, that it is sometimes referred to as a 'global village' where all the countries and the peoples of the world have become highly interdependent. Globalisation is the result of enhanced mobility of people (easier transport and more connections) and rapid means of communication (through radio, television, telephone and the Internet).