Even "Communist" China now has a capitalist economy. :) But they don't have a Democratic government.

What should we call that? Totalitarian Capitalism?

"wiggle room" Exactly right.

I liken it to a control that you can turn to the left or the right. There are an infinite number of degrees in between.

My life experience seems to indicate that the control must be continuously tweaked, like a servo control, to keep a country working. Lock it one place and the system runs out of control.

Side bar hypothesis: Perhaps democracy works merely by chance in that it jerks the control back and forth never allowing a stationary position. (?)