The October 2026 edition of The Nation magazine has an article by Osita Nwanevu that asks a pertinent question: "Can We Save Democracy?" The article is mainly focused on a book by Hélène Landemore, a professor of political science at Yale University. According to Nwanevu, Landemore does not believe that democracy can be saved. Landemore's thesis rests on the idea that what we really need is a "Politics Without Politicians." That is, by the way, the title of Landemore's book.
That same edition of The Nation also had an article by Ben Winkler, "The Plan To Supercharge American Democracy." Winkler's article says that democracy is in danger, but can be saved. He warns readers, however, that three fundamental principles must be kept in mind (emphasis added):
First: Your superpower is not just your vote, but your power to organize, to persuade, and above all to join or bring together a group of like-minded people to make grassroots engagement a part of your lives, week after week, year after year, election after election.
Second: Your modus operandi should be to organize and advocate where you are, affecting elections in which you’re a constituent and seeking to affect the decisions of your own elected officials— and, at the same time, lend a long-distance hand to those on the front lines of the fight, in the tipping-point states, districts, and battles across the country where a little change can make a huge difference.
And third: remember that the potential voters whose votes are most pivotal—those who rarely vote, or who switch parties—are often the people who are thinking about politics the least. If you want to persuade them, don’t lecture. Listen to them about what they care about, find out where it intersects with what you care about, and then find a basis for common action.
Anyone who has been reading my daily blog postings will know that I endorse the prescription advocated by Winkler, with the first priority being to "join or bring together a group of like-minded people [and] to make grassroots engagement a part of our lives...."
Santa Cruz "locals" have been known to do just that, and with important impacts on what actually happens.
(1) - https://www.thenation.com/article/society/helene-landemore-democracy-popular-government/
(2) - Gary Patton personal phto
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