What Next | Daily News and Analysis Was Democracy Voted Out?
5 snips
Aug 4, 2025 
Osita Nwanevu, contributing editor at The New Republic and columnist at The Guardian, explores the evolving nature of democracy in America. He addresses the alarming rise of far-right support and the cynicism undermining democratic trust. Nwanevu emphasizes that citizens must play an active role beyond voting and redefines democracy as a dynamic process. He also discusses the significance of grassroots movements in overcoming challenges faced by progressive politics, advocating for policies that uplift workers' rights and strengthen community engagement.
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Democracy Is a Continuous Process
- Democracy is better understood as an active, ongoing process not a fixed noun.
- It involves continuous participation, contestation, and reshaping of society by its people.
Founders Restricted Democracy
- The U.S. founders intentionally designed institutions to limit mass democratic power.
- They feared chaotic, overly democratic state governments after economic crisis and rebellions like Shays'.
Democracy Should Serve Material Needs
- Democracy's failures in recent elections stem from how elites frame it abstractly, not democracy itself.
- Democracy should be presented as a practical means to improve material conditions like healthcare and wages.
