Democracy’s Skeptics—and Its Necessity

Democracy has always made some people nervous, even as it has transformed the world. That trend continues.

In these essays, we’ll be examining democracy’s foundational principles—where did they come from to begin with and how seriously do we really take them? Consider majority rule, for instance —in the vast majority of elections held in this country, a candidate can win despite being opposed by the majority of voters so long as they gather a larger group of…