The death of democracy and birth of an unknown beast

Among them is that systems of governance are not immortal and that democracies can devolve into autocracy. As institutions decay and social norms fray, democratic processes and practices are prone to apathy, demagoguery and disintegration. One scholar ringing the loudest alarm bell--or perhaps death knell--is David Runciman. He is a professor of politics at Cambridge University and the author of "How Democracy Ends". His replies are followed by an excerpt from the book. Upgrade your inbox and get our Daily Dispatch and Editor's Picks.