Mmm, very complicated matter. Think it depends on the actual design of the system. The present lay out makes democracy too vulnerable for manipulation. Money plays a corrupt role (the richer the candidates/parties, the bigger chance to get in power, causing bias to the filthy rich). Voters are preselected and misinformed, the correction mechanisms (veto, referenda, impeachment) do not work properly. This is the more so in two-party systems without coalition mechanism.

In young democracies the law of power that corrupts and gets sticky is visible. Once a leader is in power, he will use every available mechanism to keep that power. Recent examples are Putin, Hun, Erdogan, Maduro and (forecast) Bolsonaro. And more.