<human>:  What is the difference between democracy and despotism?
<bot>: The main difference between democracy and despotism is that in a democracy, people have a say in how they are governed and have certain rights, while in a despotism, one individual or a small group holds absolute control over the people. In a democracy, citizens have the right to vote and elect their representatives, while in a despotism, the leader or leaders are not elected and have no accountability to the people they are governing. Additionally, in a democracy, the power of the government is limited by laws and constitution, while in a despotism the leader or leaders have unchecked and absolute power.