24 Chasing the Wind: Assessing Philippine Democracy Earlier in this paper, the author listed several definitions of democracy noted by a highly regarded British political scientist, a popular textbook writer and a political theorist of note (Heywood, 2002).2 The various meanings ascribed to democracy, he observes, are: Ÿ “a system of rule by the poor and disadvantaged” Ÿ “A form of government in which the people rule themselves directly Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ and continuously without the need for professional politicians or public officials” “a society based on equal opportunity and individual merit, rather than hierarchy and privilege” “a system of welfare and redistribution aimed at narrowing social inequalities” “a system of decision-making based on the principle of majority rule” “a system of rule that secures the rights and interests of minorities by placing checks on the principle of majority rule” “a means of filling public offices through a competitive struggle for the popular vote” “a system of government that serves the interests of the people regardless of their participation in political life” Plotted against any and all of these meanings, the history of Philippine governance would be hard to justify as a democracy. Looking over the list, however, one can dispense with four as not being central to evaluating democracies in our times: the rule of the poor and disadvantaged, direct rule by the people, unqualified majority rule and the protection of minority interests. These four are either anachronistic (rule of the poor and disadvantaged as contemplated in ancient Athens) or impractical (direct popular rule) or imprecise within a Philippine context that allows for plurality outcomes to control and thus define the legitimacy of most political outcomes (for instance, the people's choice of president and other public officials). The remaining four other senses of democracy could be applicable to the Philippine case and thus merit further discussion. One (elections) is derived from the minimalist position that democracy entails a method of selecting officials through competitive elections. The other three all have to do with a social context within which equality of opportunity, diminishing social inequalities, the recognition of individual merit and quality of life improvements become core concerns of democratic governance. Let's take on elections first. One cannot argue a minimalist, Schumpeterian defense for democracy in the Philippines based on the record of