Democracy is not an either/or label; it is a term that encompasses a range of different systems and cultures. For example, the US system is definitely more "dem

Democracy is not an either/or label; it is a term that encompasses a range of different systems and cultures. For example, the US system is definitely more "democratic" than the Iranian system, although they both involve voting. Conversely, the Swiss system is arguably more democratic than either the US or Iran. However, it is worth noting that attempting to rank systems by quantity-of-democracy-nature stops being useful pretty quickly, and it becomes helpful to introduce other terms/variables/factors/axes along which to measure and evaluate political systems. Equally, once certain baselines are met, the exact mechanics of the system quickly stop being as important as less tangible factors such as civil society mechanisms and cultural biases:- Particularly the professional culture of the legislature:- Ability of legislators to set aside party politics to work in the national interest; To preserve the integrity of the political system from corruption, and maintain the ability to make decisions without bias in the face of attempts to lobby and influence behaviour.