Another politically-charged runner-up, democracy lookups were most likely inspired by the election and candidates’ conflicting claims about its meaning, but it could have also been ignited by news reports about the Arab Spring and that region’s fight for democracy. Either way, its popularity is proof that election years are an exercise in civics education for many Americans.

Egyptians protest in demonstrations reminiscent of those that occurred during the Arab Spring
Khalil Hamra/AP