Hello Tim! Thank you for responding. I partly agree with you; we do need competent leadership to make the most of democracy – leaders who can balance state power, economic growth, and innovation. I would say democracy is definitely a better option available to us as compared to other alternatives to govern humankind consensually. However, we need to expand the definition of democracy beyond the ballot to social, economic, and other contexts. To make democracy genuinely representative, we need not only politically enlightened politicians but also politically aware and cultured citizenry. There have been times when democracy and its universalization have proved elusive, but that shall lead us to find better ways to manage it and not get disappointed by its downturns.