Vacuous Wholes

Is Democracy qua People's Will aptly read as the 'Sum of its Parts'/Individuals? How does the Subject relate to the Whole? "[...] keep both the parts and the whole in mind at once." - J. Ellenberg

'Tis time now for the day's headlines-

In waking halls they swarm the screens,
The veil of lazy gossip resigns,
To the certainty of people's will.

Fine grains gathered 'far and wide,
Summed o'er all minute souls,
(Unknown though each path surmised),
Fair and true the numbers spoke.

In interim, while shutters drawn-
The guarded mind casts its inward gaze;
Torn between twin pledges sworn!
Thy doubting self or the crowd that waits?

Shall earnest eyes then meet the light?
'Guised as parts of a vacuous whole,
Like drunkards stagger left and right,
And it was read that nothing's moved...