 When we contemplate the meaning of democracy, we often mean (as a starting point, anyway) a governmental system that features equal voting rights for all citizens. A little reflection, however, readily indicates how shallow a role is played by mere voting rights. A citizen may be entitled to cast a vote for any of the candidates on the ballot. But this will not help the voter promote positive results (positive by her lights) if she has misguided views of what specific candidates for office would do if they were actually elected, or about what policy measures will be effective (for details, see Goldman 1999: 315–348).