Is Democracy a Means to an End or an End unto Itself?

[Redalgo]

From my perspective democracy, and socialism for that matter, should be regarded as means to the end of human happiness. Liberal democracy is important to me as one among several institutional measures for promoting state accountability to the public, government by those who are more representative of the masses' values and convictions than seems likely ensue from some sort of non-democratic system, and avoiding pent-up political frustrations bound to eventually explode in flurries of revolutionary violence. If elites could be reliably trusted to keep themselves in check I would embrace some form of totalitarian, aristocratic order as seeming far better than democracy.

[Redalgo]

You're right at the fundamental level, but if we are to take that standard, then isn't basically everything a means to this end?

Almost - I suppose human endeavors can also be means to the end of avoiding suffering, as well!