It's surely a complex, fraught issue -- thanks for taking a stab at it. But I think you're talking past it rather than engaging directly. While you seem to have some sense that the actual machinations of contemporary political theater are something other than street-level, you only nibble around the edges. I understand why - I did the same for most of my adult life. It's complex and dauntingly anti-everythingyou'veeverknown. But it's necessary, especially to make headway on issues like those that now confront us.

It would be rewarding for both writers and readers if Persuasion entertained more skeptical views of how a "liberal democracy" actually works. Especially in terms of idea filtering, public discourse, funding for science, etc.