Democracy originally means the rule of the people for themselves, but the word is often used to refer to liberal democracy, because it is the prevailing system of democracy in Western countries, as well as in the world in the twenty-first century. Thus, the use of the word "democracy" to describe liberal democracy is a common confusion in the use of the term, whether in the West or the East. Democracy is a form of political rule based generally on the peaceful transfer of power and majority rule, while liberalism emphasizes the protection of the rights of individuals and minorities.