Conceptualizing and Measuring Democracy 11 arriving at political decisions in which individuals acquire the power to decide by means of a competitive struggle for the people's vote." (Schumpeter 1947: 269). Obviously election-focused, this definition has influenced scholars across the years although it also has accomodated a few modifications. Some scholars who earlier had endorsed the electorally-focused Schumpeterian idea of democracy have tried to refocus it by stressing the accountability of the authorities and expanded the range of applicable political processes beyond formal elections. Thus, Schmitter and Karl's formulation: Modern political democracy is a system of governance in which the authorities or rulers are held accountable for their actions in the public realm by citizens acting mostly indirectly through the competition and cooperation of their elected representatives (2009: 4). Partly endorsing this view, another scholar proposes a critically modern variation—an additional context of political freedom—on the Schumpeterian theme: … a democratic political system is one in which public policies are made, on a majority basis, by representatives subject to effective popular control at periodic elections which are conducted under conditions of political freedom (Mayo 1960: 70). A generation later, Sen (2000) will famously argue that democracy and development are both targeted towards maximizing freedom in human societies. Huntington notes that by the middle of the 20th century, the democracy debate comprised three general approaches: "As a form of government, democracy has been defined in terms of sources of authority for government, purposes served by government, and procedures for constituting government (1993: 6-7)." The struggle among these orientations, according to Huntington, was resolved by the 1970s with the Schumpeterian view of democracy—a method of governance emphasizing primarily competitive, popular elections—emerging victorious. Although most contemporary theorists might agree with Schumpeter's theoretical closure regarding democratic definitions, many others are inclined to disagree. The latter continue to view the attempt to define democracy as a continuing proposition, one that necessarily includes but must transcend Schumpeter's minimalist "democratic method" and also consider the objectives or ends of democratic governance (O'Donnell 2000; Ringen 2007). A broader realm for democratic probing is increasingly becoming more apparent. Beyond the procedural concerns of democratic politics, a whole new