北洋主政時期的民主思想，要可分為三個部分：一、為民主思想的反動，二、為民主思想的維護，三、為民主思想的闡揚。 民主思想的反動，由嚴復「民約平議」中的反民主傾向開始；繼而新約法與總統選舉法修正案增加了濃厚的專制色彩；古德諾的「共和與君主論」，意謂中國宜行君主制；籌安會及楊度等承之，對君主制大加鼓吹，進而擁護袁世凱稱帝的言論不斷出現。又在袁氏稱帝前有宋育仁、勞乃宣等，後有張勳等倡導復辟的言論，也是民主思想的反動。 民主思想的維護，乃由民主思想的反動所激起，針對嚴復的反民主傾向，新約法與總統選舉法修正案的專制色彩，古德諾、籌案會、楊度等擁護遠稱帝，以及倡導復辟的言論而發，要在反君主，反帝制，而擁護民主共和。 民主思想的闡揚，則是透過對民主政治的真義、個人的重視、廓清反民主的文化、權利與義務的關係與民主政治成功的條件之討論，以增進對民主政治的瞭解與認識。 此期中由於反民主思想的失敗，維護民主思想者的勝利，以及對民主思想的闡揚，使國人對民主政治的信念更為加強，中國政治發展的方向更為確定。

　　　　　There are three most important parts of democratic thought during the period of the Rule of Warlords: The first was the reaction on the democratic thought, which began from Yian Fu's anti-democrat tendency to Yuan Shi-Kai to be empire, and to the Restorations of Monarychy led by Shung Yiu-Yien, Liao Nai-Shan and Chang Hsun, all opposited to democratic thought directly. The second was the protection for the democratic thought, which rose from the reaction on the democratic thought, opposed the institution of monarchy, and protected the democrat and republic. The third was the clarification and promoting of democratic thought. Some intellectuals explained the true meaning of democrat, advocated the important of indivual, wiped out the culture opposing democrat, discussed the relation between right and obligation and the conditions of the successful democrat. So that the democrat was more easy to understand by the people. During this period, owing to failed to react on the democrat, succeded to protect the democrat, and the clarification and promoting of democratic thought, that the democrat had been confirmed, the orientation of Chinese political development was quite clear.