Which term describes the practice of citizens electing officials to represent them in government?

The practice of citizens electing officials to represent them in government is best described by the term "representative democracy." In this system, citizens have the right to vote for their representatives who make decisions and pass legislation on their behalf. This allows for a more manageable form of governance, especially in larger populations where direct participation by all citizens in every decision would be impractical.

In representative democracy, elected officials are accountable to the citizens, and the power ultimately resides with the electorate, giving them a voice in the governance of their society. This differs from direct democracy, where citizens participate directly in decision-making, making it less practical for larger communities.

The other options present forms of governance that do not involve citizen representation. Autocracy and dictatorship refer to systems where power is concentrated in the hands of a single ruler or a small group, with little to no input from the citizenry. In these systems, decisions are made without the consent of the governed, contrasting sharply with the concept of electing representatives in a democracy.