Habits of Democracy

In "Habits of Democracy," Ernesto Cortés argues that modern campaigns have reduced democracy to marketing and demographic targeting, insisting instead that "democracy is a set of practices," requiring citizens to develop their own political judgment through "engag[ing] one another about their experiences, their dreams, and what they expect from their government." He writes: "The word democracy comes from two Greek words: demos (the people) and krotia (to rule). Krotia means to rule, not to select, to choose, or to merely cast a ballot. Democracy presumes the existence of both reflection and context among its practitioners."