Recent events in the United States have given us a good look at how a country fares when trust in its institutions is undermined by power-focused people's tribunals. This raises the question of whether we sufficiently realize the value of democracy to us as citizens. In this edition of the General Government Performance Index, I explore how democracy translates into tangible returns relevant to citizens.
Illustration: Craig Stephens
There are bookcases full of books about populism. As faithful readers of my articles are aware, I can't regularly escape 'wondering' about this phenomenon. In this article, I examine what a vote cast on a populist party ultimately yields for voters. I distinguish between three scenarios: absolute power, opposition, and minority support government. For populist voters, the yield turns out to be very disappointing.