By which process are representatives chosen in a democracy?

Correct answer: Election

The direct answer is C: election. In a democracy, representatives receive political authority from the people through voting. The basic chain is simple: citizens have the right to vote, candidates or parties contest, voters select among them, and the winning candidates represent the people. Option A, heredity, is wrong because a person receives office by birth in hereditary rule, not by the people’s choice. Option B, mere appointment, is wrong because appointment by a ruler or authority does not give citizens a meaningful choice; appointment can sometimes be used for offices, but it is not the democratic process for choosing representatives. Option C is correct because elections allow citizens to select representatives and later replace them. Option D, use of force, is wrong because force takes away consent and free choice. A democracy may use appointed officials for administration, but its representative political leadership must be connected to elections. Memory cue: representatives represent voters, so remember “representative = elected by the people.”