Democracy exists where led groups can pass into the leading group

Evidence

Hegemony and Democracy. Of the many meanings of democracy, the most realistic and concrete one in my view can be worked out in relation to the concept of hegemony’. In the hegemonic system, there exists democracy between the ‘leading’ group and the groups which are ‘led’, in so far as the development of the economy and thus the legislation which expresses such development favour the (molecular) passage from the ‘led’ groups to the ‘leading’ group. In the Roman Empire there was an imperial-territorial democracy in the concession of citizenship to the conquered peoples, etc. There could be no democracy under feudalism, because of the constitution of the closed groups [i.e. estates, corporations, etc.] etc. — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 1869

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines democracy functionally within hegemony — as molecular upward mobility of led groups — rather than as a formal electoral procedure.
• XREF: Connects to later readings on citizenship and statelessness, where formal inclusion (concession of citizenship) defines the imperial-territorial hegemonic relation. — connects to: Hegemonic democracy depends on upward mobility of the led groups; Hegemonic democracy permits molecular movement from led to leading groups — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 1869; Hegemonic rule allows the led to pass molecularly into the leading group. — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 1869 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Hegemonic democracy depends on upward mobility of the led groups #corroborates (1.00)
• Hegemonic democracy permits molecular movement from led to leading groups #corroborates (1.00) — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 1869
• Hegemonic rule allows the led to pass molecularly into the leading group. #corroborates (1.00) — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 1869
• Transformism operates by absorbing individuals first, then entire opposition groups #expands (0.72) — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 1874