The Faith We Place in Our Elections

I’ve lost track of the times over the years I’ve heard a politician say, “This is the most important election of my lifetime.” In fact, I’ve said it myself. I’m sure we all believed it at the time, but in my case, at least, I know I was wrong in the past. Because this year’s election is the most important of my lifetime.

Elections are the crown jewel of a representative democracy. We do at least three things when we vote: we vote for our preferred candidates; we vote to direct policy; and we place our stamp of approval on the system itself. Then, whatever the result, we accept...