I don't think I made a category error, the process is not democratic and the continued decision making by the demos would be contrary to their desire (to have a

I don't think I made a category error, the process is not democratic and the continued decision making by the demos would be contrary to their desire (to have a less direct democracy) so would remain undemocratic. Votes within the system would be democratic inasmuch as they were 'by the people' but they wouldn't have supreme power -- as they couldn't choose to change the system -- and so it would fall short of being democratic. It was, and remains, a cutesy and non-productive comment. >A totalitarian dictatorship is not more democratic than a body of elected representatives, even if the people voted to implement that dictatorship. // To press the useless point: yes, a dictatorship is less democratic as the people no longer have the power vested in them (and would have to reclaim it by a coup, or similar). On your second point, you're right. My go to for reflecting on democracy is 'government by the people and _for_ the people' and that has coloured my response. I do think there's an element of necessary agency, which suggests a qualitative aspect, however. But strictly, I concede, government to the utmost detriment of the demos could be democratic in the primary sense of the word.