Scott explains why true democracy requires more than just winning elections - it needs a complex system of checks and balances to ensure future elections remain fair and free. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explains why 'democracy' requires more than just having one election where the winner gets unlimited power. He argues that to ensure future fair elections, a democracy needs various checks and balances that we associate with liberalism - like an independent judiciary, free press, and civil society organizations. He describes how these institutions work together to prevent a leader from subverting future elections, using the example of what would happen if a leader tried to rig an election by firing election monitors. The post concludes by noting that both progressive and conservative authoritarians can threaten these democratic safeguards, though through different methods. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander describes three fictional and slightly absurd systems of government: an acausal democracy, a constitutional mobocracy, and a meta-republic with representatives from various governing philosophies. Longer summary

This post presents three fictional systems of government in a satirical and creative manner. The first, Clamzoria, is an acausal democracy where elections are held at the end of a term and prediction markets determine who takes office. The second, Cognito, is a constitutional mobocracy where protests serve as the legislature. The third, Yyphrostikoth, is a meta-republic with representatives from various forms of government, including some absurd positions. Each system is described with its unique features, advantages, and eventual downfalls or quirks. Shorter summary