Is the wizarding world a democracy?

[junediamanti]

No: HPFGUIDX 75193

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "sbursztynski" 
<greatraven at h...> wrote:
> This may have been handled in another thread, so excuse me if it 
has, 
> but ... just how *is* the wizard government chosen? While it's not 
> impossible that an idiot like Fudge would be elected democratically 
> (he makes Jim Hacker of Yes, Minister look like an intellectual), 
he 
> seems more like the head of the civil service, but more - in a 
> democracy, Voldemort wouldn't have to resort to violence, he'd just 
> have to stand in the next election. He'd wipe the floor with Fudge. 
> Remember, even Hitler was democratically elected in the beginning,
> and Tom Riddle seems to have been quite charismatic, handsome and 
> plausible. Fudge wouldn't have the powers we find out he has in 
OoP, 
> he wouldn't be worrying about Dumbledore raising an army, only that
> he might stand against him next election and you certainly wouldn't 
> have people being dragged off to that nightmarish place Azkaban 
> without a trial, as Hagrid was in CoS.
> 

> Just a thought. I'd be interested in others' thoughts on this.


Suggest a paternalist type oligarchy, as enshrined in the Wizengamot -
 like a council of elders perhaps?  Wizengamot derives from the old 
anglo-saxon term of Witengamot.  

Must run off and read up on saxon forms of government... who would 
have thought that a childrens' book series could be so intellectually 
taxing.  

Cheers

June