I guess there are two different statuses/standings to consider when it comes to Buddhist monasticism:
1- Spiritual attainment: these are relevant to spiritual lineage, and serve as a guardian of the teachings. The first Buddhist council was determined by attainments where arahanthood was a prerequisite.
2- Number of retreats: this type of seniority is relevant to managing the community of monks. Democracy might apply here.
So, democracy might be more relevant to issues of minor importance, such as keeping the house in order. In the teachings for householders, husbands are encouraged to give their wives authority over running the household. However, even in modern "democratic societies" the populace have little say about issues relevant to war, even if they are allowed to express objections towards it. The voting process happens in "confidence" which entrusts leaders in national secrets, usually most relevant to "national security". When Trump was accused of keeping documents that belongs to the national archive, nuclear bombs was mentioned, which is indicative of what constitutes "sensitive information" in the collective mind regardless of the truth of it.
Spiritual lineages and allegiances seems to have been replaced by "biological racism" through the blessings of modern science. Holy wars is being replaced by wars of justice, or rules based world or defending democracy. The issue of protecting households and traditional families was mentioned in one of Putin's speeches in relation to the war in Ukraine. Putin's favorite philosopher, Aleksandre Dugin, spoke of the uniqueness of the Russian spirit.
Rejoining one's spiritual lineage offers plausible interpretation as to the goal of holy life in Buddhism. A puthujjana, who have not seen the noble ones, have been wandering in samsara for long, uses worldly heredity that are based on nama-rupa to form a fake identity, hence renouncing the family is a prerequisit for leaving the household life. What constitutes a lineage is unclear in the modern age of confusion, but it is said that Ariyas are able to know each other without reliance on the fake identity of nama-rupa. The holy war of rejoining the lineage is not done on the battle field, but in leaving modernity that provides comfort and security to householders and dwelling in the forest instead.
Paying homage to one's own lineage seems to have benefits that could eventually lead to being converted to an Ariya. It is safe to conclude that Bahiya was aware of esoteric knowledge about his lineage before being converted:
Then a devata who was a former blood-relation of Bahiya of the Bark-cloth understood that reflection in his mind. Being compassionate and wishing to benefit him, he approached Bahiya and said: "You, Bahiya, are neither an arahant nor have you entered the path to arahatship. You do not follow that practice whereby you could be an arahant or enter the path to arahatship."
"Then, in the world including the devas, who are arahats or have entered the path to arahatship?"
"There is, Bahiya, in a far country a town called Savatthi. There the Lord now lives who is the Arahant, the Fully Enlightened One. That Lord, Bahiya, is indeed an arahant and he teaches Dhamma for the realization of arahatship."
And the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: "Behold now, bhikkhus, I exhort you: All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with earnestness!"
This was the last word of the Tathagata.