Democracy

• control of an organisation or group by the majority of its members;
• a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives;
• a state governed under a system of democracy.

Democracy is usually described as government by the people, either directly or through elected representatives.

But voting every few years is not enough by itself.

If citizens elect representatives and then have no effective or efficient way for the will of the voters to have the final say on how those representatives vote, then the system falls short of real democracy.

What is commonly called democracy can, in practice, become a form of elected oligarchy: a system where citizens choose who will hold power, but once elected, those office-holders, parties, donors, lobby groups, media systems and other powerful interests may have more influence over decisions than the voters themselves.

For any system of government to meet the threshold of being called a democracy, there must be an effective way for the will of the voters to be communicated, tested, organised and given practical authority between elections.

That does not mean every citizen must personally study every bill or vote on every issue.

It means the community must have a working democratic process through which citizens can remain connected, informed and heard while decisions are being made. People should be able to vote directly when they choose to, delegate their vote to someone they trust when they choose to, and see whether their elected representative is acting consistently with the clearly expressed will of the electorate.

That is one of the central problems Vote4Democracy is working to address.

Vote4Democracy is built on a simple idea: democracy needs both election-time participation and between-elections participation.

At election time, citizens should vote for the candidate who has demonstrated the strongest support for democracy.

Between elections, citizens should be able to discuss bills, vote directly when they choose to, delegate their vote to someone they trust when they choose to, and make the views of their community visible.

The resources on this page explore democracy, oligarchy, propaganda, authoritarianism, representation, and the ways democratic systems can be weakened or renewed.

They are provided for people who want to look more deeply at the problem Vote4Democracy is trying to solve.

“The whole system of Parliament, and the SOLE reason for its existence, is to make laws for the people, with the clear implication that those laws will reflect the WILL of the people on the subject matter of those laws.”

Arthur A. Chresby was the Federal Member for Griffith (QLD) from 1958 to 1961 in the House of Representatives. He was also a Research Analyst in Constitutional Law. From his work he came to the conclusion that when a political party causes an elected member of parliament to vote in a particular way, that is against the will of the voters who elected them, then that party is behaving unconstitutionally and illegally.

The following extracts from ‘Chapter 6 - What is a Political Party?’ of his publication ‘Your Will Be Done’ clearly states his case for this position.

“If you will but pause to think deeply and seriously you will find that a political party, despite its propaganda, constitutions, fine words and phrases, eventually becomes an organisation in the form of a pyramid with final power in the apex of that pyramid. The mass at the base being subject to manipulation by those in the apex, or by those who control the apex from outside of party organisation.

It is not an unreasonable contention that those who finally win through to the apex of the pyramid, both organisational and parliamentary, have to become manipulators of their fellows if they wish to hold their place of power at the top.

A political party, by the very nature of its pyramidal structure, is not, and cannot be, a democratic organisation, and the many years of party politics in Australia since Federation, proves that it is not democratic, despite beautifully worded constitutions, platforms, policies, and philosophies.

It is legally unchallengeable that the party system exists and operates ONLY because the Australian people have been deliberately misled into believing that, other than by a dictatorship, there is no other way that Parliament could function effectively and efficiently; that despite its many faults the party system is the only effective and efficient democratic way of governing the country. This is Constitutionally and legally false.

The sole role of a political party, like any other lawful organisation, is simply to recommend to the electors that "so and so" should be a good parliamentary representative and would faithfully carry out the judicially defined legal function and duty of a parliamentarian. Should the electors accept the party's recommendation and elect that person then the party has no further legal vested interest in that elected person.

Once the Australian people are given the opportunity to learn and grasp that their Commonwealth and State Constitutions, and judicial interpretations thereof, provide the people with a practical legal alternative to the party system to democratically operate the seven Australian Parliaments then, save those with a vested interest in the party system and its manipulation, the electors will cease to use the party system.”

 

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Click here for more information about what is and isn't Democracy.

Why do obvious lies make perfect propaganda? In 1513, Machiavelli wrote a banned book that revealed the psychological blueprint for mass manipulation. Modern neuroscience proves he was right. This video exposes the exact mechanisms that transform lies into truth, manufacture consent, and make you defend those controlling you.

How Dictators Win Elections - The Dark Psychology of Modern Authoritarianism. Would you recognize a dictator if they ran for office today—with TikTok, algorithmic targeting, and professional branding? This deep dive explores the uncomfortable psychology behind why intelligent, educated people throughout history have voted for authoritarian leaders.

Nobel laureate James Buchanan is the intellectual linchpin of the Koch-funded attack on democratic institutions, argues Duke historian Nancy MacLean. Click here to read the article.

An explosive exposé of the man and the ideas behind the well-heeled right's relentless campaign to eliminate unions, suppress voting, privatise public education, and curb democratic majority rule. Click here to read the first 20 pages.

Historian and author Nancy MacLean joins Bill to discuss her latest book: "Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America."

Click here for more videos from Nancy McLean

Roslyn Fuller's book Beasts & Gods is a MUST READ book to understand why there are NO DEMOCRACIES and only OLIGARCHIES! Click here for the first 20 pages or so for free.

Dr. Roslyn Fuller is an expert on applying Athenian democratic principles to modern states and organisations. Her book Beasts and Gods draws on over a decade of research and has been praised as a provocative critique of Western politics (Fintan O’Toole, Irish Times) and “the inside story of the slow death of democracy” (Nick Davies, The Guardian).

A former International Law lecturer in Ireland, she now comments in outlets including Salon, The Nation and LA Review of Books, and appears in international media on law, terrorism and democracy. As president of the Solonian Democracy Institute, she researches how these principles can improve decision-making and shape future society.

Roslyn Fuller's book In Defence of Democracy another must read for anybody who truly loves democracy and wants to see it flourish. Click here for the first 20 pages or so for free.

This video, dives into the unsettling concept of mass psychosis—a phenomenon where entire societies lose their grip on reality, swept up by collective fear, delusion, and manipulation. From historical witch hunts to the rise of totalitarianism, we examine how mass psychosis has led ordinary people to embrace irrational beliefs, commit unthinkable acts, and submit to powerful forces. Through insights from psychologists like Carl Jung and experts on the psychology of totalitarianism, discover the mechanisms that trigger this disturbing shift and what it means for our modern world.