joe blowe

The term democracy is used quite often - it purports to signify 'government by the people'...
There are however other questions that are relevant when talking of democracy:

- who gets to vote.
In ancient Greece and during the Roman Republic, only citizens that owned land, and could read an write were allowed to vote. Even in the elections held in the early American Colonies.
Voters that have a 'conflict of disinterest' in the government may vote differently then those with critical interest in the outcomes.

- then, how do we count the votes ?
Canada has a system of 'first past the post' or the greatest number of votes wins.
Alternatively one could vouch for 50 % plus one vote. Or even 75 % or 100 % in the case of the Jury of Your Peers.
On a recent election for mayor, the winner had 63% of the electorate vote against him.
With Canadian three party system, one party always waits in the wings to be the 'kingmaker'when minority governments are very common.

It is said that democracy will always vote itself into extinction because it consists of 'mob rule' when people vote themselves all the perks that someone else has to pay for.