“A democracy is a system of government in which parties lose elections.”
I learned this definition on the first day of Professor Adam Przeworski’s graduate course, Theories of the Capitalist State. Uncertain electoral outcomes are the fundamental feature of democracy. When a candidate concedes an election loss, he fulfills the “democratic bargain.” In effect, the unsuccessful candidate says, “I respect the outcome of the election and resolve to try again next time.”
In nondemocracies - autocracy, authoritarian one-party states, or dictatorships— electoral outcomes are certain. The Dear Leader’s party has a lock.
Preworski’s additional insight: “elections are a peaceful substitute for rebellion.”
As the January 6 anniversary approaches, we may ask: do we want insurrection or peace? It’s easy to see possibilities for insurrection on the horizon; where do we find pathways for peace?
Notes:
Owen, David. “Democracy.” In Political Concepts, edited by Richard Bellamy and Andrew Mason, 105–17. Manchester University Press, 2003.
Przeworski, Adam. “Minimalist Conception of Democracy: A Defense”. In Democracy's Value, edited by I. Shapiro, & C. Hacker-Cordon, Cambridge University Press.