More generally, democracy means rule by the people. It's possible to allow the population to vote without actually giving it any power. Eg. - If the elected go

More generally, democracy means rule by the people. It's possible to allow the population to vote without actually giving it any power. Eg. - If the elected government punishes people who voted the wrong way once it gets in power, then it's not really a democracy. - If the elected government doesn't have any real power, and all the important decisions are made by warlords or corporate heads, then it is not really a democracy. - If your boss can stand behind you while you cast your ballot to make sure you vote the right way, under threat of being fired, it's not really a democracy. - If the only information you have on which to base your vote is the official state-run news, then it's not really a democracy. - If all the government's power is concentrated in one person, who is elected for life, it's not really a democracy.