Elected representatives are so embedded in the basic notion of what constitutes a democratic nation that it has become indistinguishable from any other form of democratic governance.
For all its shortcomings, Wikipedia does have strong governance and deliberative mechanisms; anyone who has ever followed discussions on Wikipedia's mailing lists will confirm that its moderators and administrators openly discuss controversial issues on a regular basis.
If Indonesia improves governance of the fisheries sector and invests in large-scale maritime transport, it can double fish production by 2019.
Although universal suffrage may not be a panacea for all social problems, it does have a profound bearing on the democratic development and governance of a place.
The American presidency combines elements of the efficient and the dignified. The president presides over governance - not making legislation but proposing it, cajoling the co-equal federal legislature and then signing and executing the laws.
Governance under a chief executive elected by universal suffrage will give fresh impetus to economic and livelihood policies.