The Dysfunctions of the Modern Democratic State Cannot Be Fixed by a Flurry of Populism

As Europe, the United States, and Latin America confront a growing wave of populist discontent and disillusionment with “the system,” fuelled by a widespread perception that democracy has ‘let us down,’ it is worth taking a step back from all the action, to ask: “what exactly were we expecting from our democratic institutions, and was it anything they c…