The Authoritarian Problem
We have all heard the time-worn adage, “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” And often it seems people try to pin the cliche on things that truly are broken. The check engine light turns on, but the car still gets you from point A to point B. You have recurring back pain but you push through your daily routine. A virus warning flashes on your computer screen, but you click ignore yet again. What we think is working is only a malfunction or two away from falling apart completely and can be expensive to repair or replace. Similarly, a system of governance, if ignored and taken for granted, can exhibit the same symptoms of wear before it begins to break down. Political groups polarize, compromise is abandoned for rigid idealism, Congress grinds to a halt, people lose faith in their leaders, and extremism grows rampant among the population. In the United States, the signs are everywhere that things are not working and the distance between right and left, liberal and conservative, rural...