You got me thinking. Maybe democracy is just like a religion. We go in every Sunday ( if that ). Some on sufferance. Some recent converts full of awe. Some out of habit. We have disciples. We have priests. We have holy words and phrases that shall not be spoken.

Don’t forget the holy relics (e.g. the flag).

You’re not the first to make this comparison :)

Lol, religion is the prototype for bureaucracy

By that logic, democracy is only practiced several times a decade (over a period of weeks)?

That's the underlying truth - we don't have direct democracy, we have representative democracy.

Isn't that exactly the case (besides in Switzerland)?

Democracy is a form of government, so any function of a democratic government is a democratic act. This is because that act was made legitimate and is held accountable via a democratic process.

This isn’t sophistry, it’s a vitally important point because the legitimacy and accountability of government are the individual responsibility of every citizen. You and I are responsible for complying with government because we consent to be ruled due to our recognition of its legitimacy. Equally, we are responsible when we vote in a leader or representative. The guy in Starship Troopers is right, a vote is an act of force.

I honestly don’t know, but I know it is not 24/7.

More like the cave in Alibaba and thieves.