Despite being divided on most issues, an overwhelming majority of Americans agree that their democracy is in a state of crisis or facing serious challenges.

A few of the symptoms of the problem: Close allies see the U.S. as a threat to peace. Immigration raids by poorly trained federal agents have terrorized cities. President Donald Trump claims that only his own sense of morality limits his power. The Trump administration has politicized the Justice Department, and many of Trump’s political nominees refuse to acknowledge that Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election.

Plato warned that an unhealthy democracy can easily fall prey to a tyrant. As a scholar of American government, I see dishonest leaders, an environment of declining trust and a cultural penchant for violence as symptoms of Plato’s scenario.

The courts, which research suggests are ineffective at instituting significant political change, cannot adequately counter today’s democratic crisis. So what can?

One thing I’ve learned over two decades is that when it comes to the fundamentals of democracy, political science is not rocket science. A healthy democracy requires educated citizens, including a free press and an engaged public.

American government is supposed to be run by the people with what Founding Father James Madison called their “cool and deliberate” sense in charge. This ideal vision of democracy requires that citizens consider various sides of an argument before coming to a decision.

But the modern era is one of misinformation and so-called alternative facts. Only 1 in 5 Americans think Republicans and Democrats can agree on basic facts.

The American experiment tested whether a government could be founded on........

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