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 discusses the technical implementation details of impact markets for charity funding, exploring various options and challenges. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores the technical implementation details of impact markets for charity funding. He discusses various options for structuring the market, pricing certificates, handling founder equity, and addressing legal and ethical concerns. The post examines different approaches to kickstarting such a market, considers potential investors and funders, and concludes with some hybrid design proposals to balance competing interests. Shorter summary