Circa 1990, Patrick Watson created a lengthy documentary called "The Struggle for Democracy." He went to different places in the world. Some of them claimed to be democratic, but they were clearly not----from western perspectives. Mr. Watson was trying to define this term, but could not come to any sound definition.

Likewise, the definitions of "core values" is subjective to interpretation. These days, Russia will claim it has found "freedom of the press" because it has prevented the media that lies from reporting.

Perhaps the best short definition I have come across is from a book called "The Yugas". It said that in a democracy, the governors govern at the pleasure of the people. But even this is faulty as the faces may change after elections, but the thinking in the back rooms does not.