This chapter shows how democracies can disintegrate from within when citizens become complacent. The text highlights how seemingly ordinary elections can become turning points that fundamentally transform political systems, using historical examples from Nazi Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Russia to illustrate the fragility of democratic institutions.

Reflection Questions:What does it mean that “the manna of popular liberty must be gathered each day or it is rotten” (Wendell Phillips)? What are some specific local or community-level actions that ordinary citizens could take to help preserve democratic processes?

How do you think campaign finance practices, gerrymandering, and the resulting unequal representation have made the U.S. vulnerable to tyranny?

How can current U.S. citizens ensure that this election is not the last?

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