Robert DahlThinkers

Democracy is a set of basic procedures for arriving at decisions.

Democracy is about the political process and not the outcomes of the political process.

Democracy is an ideal of government implemented through the equal distribution of power. The majority of societies generally recognized as democracies have differing levels of capacitation and deliberation by the citizens.

Democracy is defined by the presence of effective participation, voting, enlightened understanding, public control of the agenda, and inclusiveness.

Democracy is, for the large part, to be defined by the ends and not the means.

Democracy is not merely a constitutional arrangement concerned with the authority of government but is, instead, a guarantor of specific substantive results.