Guided democracy

[5][page needed] In a guided democracy, the government controls elections such that the people can exercise democratic rights without truly changing public policy.

[8] The regime retained much of the structures and institutions of Polish parliamentary democracy, even though Józef Piłsudski exercised such large influence on the government that he "assumed some of the postures of a dictator".

[6][7] The 1935 April Constitution of Poland implemented by Sanacja centralized most state power in the hands of President, but the Polish guided democracy nevertheless stayed pluralistic, even if authoritarian.

[9] Writing about late Sanacja, Antony Polonsky stated that even after 1930, "parties survived, the press was fairly free, criticism was allowed", thus maintaining the system of guided democracy.

Lobbying plays a central role in this system, as corporations and wealthy individuals use their financial resources to influence legislation and policy decisions in their favor.