What does it mean to be a democratic?

A democrat is a person belonging to one of the two major political party. The Democratic party, prior to the election of Franklin Roosevelt in 1930, primarily represented a belief in a centralized and active federal government that had a responsibility to ensure the safety, health and well-being of the public through enacting regulations that were to be enforced uniformly in all the states, rather than rely on the judgment of business to determine what was best for the consumer. It also, beginning with Woodrow Wilson, began a policy of aggressively exporting American values and military strength throughout the world in an effort to “make the world safe for democracy”. Since the time of Franklin Roosevelt, however, the Democrats have focused increasingly on using the federal government to address social inequities and protect the rights of minorities.

The growth of the federal government (along with the federal deficit), contrary to popular belief, has expanded most quickly under the stewardship of Republicans (Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush) and actually slowed during Bill Clinton’s tenure.

Source - http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_Democrat (Wiki answers What is a Democrat)