Tyranny of the Minority

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A call to reform our antiquated political institutions before it's too late—from the New York Times bestselling authors of How Democracies Die. America is undergoing a significant transformation toward a multiracial democracy, a rare achievement in history. However, this shift has triggered an authoritarian backlash that threatens the foundations of our political system. The authors explore why democracy faces challenges here, unlike in other wealthy, diversifying nations, and propose solutions to safeguard it. Drawing on historical examples from 1930s France to contemporary Thailand, they elucidate how political parties can undermine democracy. They highlight how the U.S. Constitution uniquely exposes us to internal attacks, enabling minority rule that consistently thwarts the will of the majority. While many modern democracies have reformed outdated institutions like elite upper chambers and lifetime judicial appointments, the U.S. lags behind. This book serves as an urgent call to refine our national experiment, emphasizing that we have successfully reformed our country before, notably after the Civil War and during the Progressive Era. We now stand at a pivotal moment: America must choose to embrace a multiracial democracy or risk losing its democratic status altogether.