The house of the American republic is tottering. Once unthinkable, it’s now undeniable that our shared home has deteriorated the same way you go broke: gradually, then suddenly. At the time it was built, We the People gave our house a sound design, sturdy and innovative by the standards of the day. It’s stood strong over the generations, holding fast through many seasons and storms. But like all old homes, our house needs fixing: The roof leaks. The plumbing’s rusted. The wiring’s quite out of date. And most troublingly, it’s become apparent that the foundation—the federal Constitution—is no longer stable. Partisan warfare, institutional neglect, and systemic corruption have combined to crack its bedrock and put the entire structure at serious risk. Alarm bells are ringing, and if we don't act soon, our house may fall into ruins.

It may be even worse than that. For as much as the Constitution’s being weakened in this season of backsliding, it also carries structural flaws that have compromised its integrity from the start. Scholars like Steven Levitsky and Erwin Chemerinsky have published books in recent months diagnosing just how much the Constitution thwarts majority rule. Other thinkers such as Hélène Landemore, Terry Bouricius, and Alexander Guerrero have gone even further, arguing that elections themselves aren’t as democratic as we think and that we should explore incorporating more sortition into our governance to compensate.