One of the most common misunderstandings about democracy—whether in East L.A. or Eastern Europe—is the belief that is defined solely by voting. It doesn’t.
Voting is like picking a restaurant and thinking your work is done. Like a restaurant, real democracy means you still have to show up, place your order, eat the meal, pay the bill, and decide whether you’ll come back.
In that sense, voting is just the appetizer in a long, messy, participatory meal.