A higher ideal, despite failures along the way
Patricia Roberts-Miller, University of Texas-Austin
Democracy is always being pronounced dead by those who are trying to kill it.
Perhaps because it has tended toward ambitious claims of its origins and possibilities, democracy is held to higher and often different standards from other models of governance.
Democracy certainly has its instances of disastrous decisions – from supporting the Sicilian Expedition to our current problem of citizens wanting lower taxes and more expensive services.
In this regard, however, it’s no different from any other form of government: oligarchy, monarchy, fascism and…