Columns of Democracy

Book excerpt: Democracies are under attack in many countries including our own. Wannabe dictators feel threatened by democraciesÕ existence. Their destructive efforts are abetted by democraciesÕ citizen apathy. This book examines the institutions, the ÒcolumnsÓ that support democracy. They include such institutions as independent media, K-12 and higher education, respected, independent judges, accessible voting systems, and public libraries. These institutions support both an active citizenry and meaningful checks on executivesÕ abuses. This book calls Americans to action Ð with suggestions. It also contains the authorÕs ÒcolumnsÓ Ð an example of citizen use of the column of democracy called media.