how to look after democracy

What is 'democracy'?

It's difficult to define 'democracy':

1 a. : government by the people. especially : rule of the majority. b. : a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.

Democracy Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

The problem is that a lot of governments hold elections - but we wouldn't call them 'democratic':

Democracy Is More Than Just Holding Elections - Open Society Foundations

For example:

Putin’s antiwar rival blocked from contesting Russia presidential election | Elections News | Al Jazeera

But some twenty years ago, Russia, for example, was 'more democratic'

Russian President Vladimir Putin, After 20 Years of Rule

Or maybe not:

Why Russia’s Democracy Never Began | Journal of Democracy

This year, around 4 billion people will be voting in over 60 countries this year - but how many of these elections amount to 'democracy'?

Here's a programme which looks at how democracies are not just about elections - and how people in power can slowly but surely dismantle a democracy:

Democracies do not die in military coups. They are dismantled slowly, by libel laws, through tax audits, and procedure. Democracies are dismantled by bureaucrats and judges, not by soldiers and heavy-handed policing. It has always been thus, from ancient Rome to present-day Tunisia. The program outlines the tricks of the trade that imperceptibly kill democracies – and how examples in Mexico, Turkey, India and Poland illustrate that the autocratic playbook is nearly always the same.

Analysis - How to Dismantle a Democracy - BBC Sounds

There is a lot of advice out there to stop this happening:

Unlock Democracy [UK]

How to Protect Democracy - Protect Democracy [USA]

Freedom in the World 2020: Recommendations for Strengthening Democracy

...