Democracy is gives equal weight to all members regardless of their capabilities. The assumption is that the best decisions will be made by the majority.

The problem is that in many cases majority-based decisions are not optimal especially in areas where specialization, expertise, knowledge or experience are necessary. For example in an airplane, decisions about maneuvers should not be governed by the passengers. Engineering decisions should not be voted upon by all the members of the construction team.

Democracy is not a statement that majority decisions are the best. Rather it is a negative assessment that minority-based decisions will inevitably be worse. It is a reaction to a historical abuse of hierarchical decision-making by aristocracies, kingdoms and empires. It is a statement of distrust rather than an affirmation of an optimal solution. It is designed to prevent abuse of power and resources rather than optimize the use of power and resources.

Democracy's weakest link is the average capabilities of voting members. Should the majority be unable to take the time necessary to make intelligent decisions they may become reactive and make poor decisions based on the latest fad, sentimentality, grudge or impulse or whim. The weight of responsibility falls on the majority and if they fail to take their responsibilities seriously then the results are haphazard at best.