"The whole period pre-dates actual democracy except for possibly the Revolution of France."

Although your statement is largely true for many countries in this period, and completely true in the modern western notion of "liberal democracy". It isn't entirely true and does not apply to ALL.

It all depends if by your statement you mean "liberal democracy" with "suffrage for all", or whether we are talking about more people than just the landed nobility having a vote?

Britain, for example, was a Constitutional Monarchy (A Monarchy with a Parliament that has final say on all matters of policy) after 1688 and any *man* with sufficient land or income could vote. No noble title was necessary.

The Monarchy had a strong say in Government and Parliament, and could dismiss and call Parliament within bounds set in law. But Parliament was able to dictate its own terms and the King or Queen had to listen or possibly suffer the consequences. (James II found this out when he was deposed by Parliament and replaced by William and Mary - Known to this day as The Glorious Revolution)

The English "Bill of rights of 1689" enshrined parliamentary rights in English law and the Act of Settlement in 1701 ensured it could not be repealed.

Under "The Triennial Acts of 1694" the rights of Parliament were strengthened and it had to meet every year, for at least 50 days, and an election had to be held every 3 years. This was modified to the Septennial Act of 1716 which extended the term of Parliament to a maximum of 7 years in order to allow for more stable policy making.

From Walpole (1721 - Britain's first real Prime Minister) onwards Britain was effectively run by members of a popularly elected body and the monarch was thereafter only consulted for an opinion but was not always listened to. (Even if that was often taken as official policy)

To this day a Prime Minister has to ask the Queens permission to form and dissolve Parliament. But because of the Bill of Rights she effectively has no choice but to agree to the Prime Minister's requests.

Britain didn't have universal suffrage until 1918.

Pennsylvania had its own elected legislature from 1682, even if it was subject to the will of the government of Great Britain

I could go on about other democratic legislatures like the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth, and so on, but I think people might have the picture now.