representative democracy

It’s so easy in a presidential election year to forget that our system is not about a single person.

If there’s a theme that sets this political season apart, it’s the voters’ utter disdain for most of the people who practice politics.

You know who I feel sorry for? Today’s politicians. You’ll laugh at this, but hear me out.

People who care about the U.S. place in the world often fret about challenges to representative democracy from other countries. I’d contend that the more formidable challenge comes not from abroad, but from within.

I spend a fair amount of time talking to students and other young people about Congress and politics in general, and I’ve noticed something. It used to be that I’d regularly get asked how one runs for office. Nowadays, I rarely do.