Akademik

n.

A democracy that has absurd or inequitable characteristics or in which senseless or unjust events occur.

"We have a democrazy not a democracy. Democracy is a numbers game and if your electorate can be fooled because they are ignorant, then the game goes to the cheaters and the rabblerousers."

— Enrique Zobel, "A Matter of Conscience," BusinessWorld, June 13, 2001

"Democrazy: While democracy sometimes seems to be a mixed blessing, it is usually a good subject for satire — which is what Florence King does in 'Reflections in a Jaundiced Eye' (St. Martin's)."

— "Noted with Pleasure," The New York Times, April 30, 1989

I'm often asked to include a pronunciation along with each word that I post, but this term demonstrates the kind of problem that can arise: I don't actually know how to properly pronounce it! Is it di.MOK.ray.zee or di.MOK.ruh.zee or DEM.uh.kray.zee or dem.uh.KRAY.zee? Insert perplexed shrug here. In the end, this is probably just one of those "print-only puns" that only work in print and not orally.

A hearty "thanks a bunch" to subscribers Dale and Carol Webb for letting me know about this word.