[pgwhalen]

Lobbying is literally half of what representative democracy is. First, you elect representatives to office. Then, you try to get them to do what you want. The latter is lobbying.

Of course, when money becomes a significant portion of how the second one happens, things can get complicated.

[cwmoore]

I’m not so sure. First the representatives are selected to be elected.

A significant portion of both of your suggested halves are “complicated” by money.

[pgwhalen]

You could break it down further if you like, yes.

Everything is complicated by money. I wish we were better about shielding politics from money. So much about society in general is about money, it ain’t easy.

[cwmoore]

No, not “if I like”, everything touches money, and “it ain’t easy”.

Your breakdown was so simple, it was simply wrong.

[varispeed]

It's not democracy if one with the most money gets their way.

[Ajedi32]

Well, money makes it a lot easier to get a message out to voters, and in a democracy voters are the ones ultimately in charge.

So in a democratic society where free speech exists there's only so much you can do to prevent that.

[127]

It's not democracy when it's not the votes that determine what government does, but money.

[charlieyu1]

Eventually it is the fault of voters to keep voting for the same people.