The most famous quotes in praise of democracy do not make a principled case for it. If, as Winston Churchill claimed, it is the worst form of government bar all the others “that have been tried”, then verifiable outcomes are what matter. “No famine has ever taken place in the history of the world in a functioning democracy,” found the economist Amartya Sen, implying, once more, that utility is the test. Popular self-rule is to be preferred because it allows for better results, not because it is right in and of itself.
Keep this in mind as the most important democracy of all goes out to vote. Donald Trump is a threat to this system of government, yes, but not in the way that is most often alleged. The US president is not an autocrat in the familiar sense. When the coronavirus pandemic gave him a chance to hoard power, he did almost the opposite, bemoaning even mild incursions into personal freedom. He has more often denuded the unelected or “deep” state than he has turned it on the masses. He remains uninterested to the point of boredom in the awesome potential of his office.
No, Mr Trump’s principal threat to the cause of democracy is governmental incompetence. It promises to tarnish the worldwide reputation of the system as the one that works. If the idea takes hold that China has controlled the virus and avoided a recession, while the US remains beset by both, the signal to the rest of the globe will be unmistakable. Autocracy is the strong horse.