When Elections Lose Legitimacy
The collapse of a republic rarely begins with tanks in the streets or dramatic constitutional crises. More often, it begins with a far quieter question: Can we trust our elections? Once citizens lose confidence in the process that grants political authority, every institution built upon that authority begins to crack. Courts become suspect, laws become negotiable, and political opponents become enemies. A nation can survive bitter policy disagreements. It cannot survive indefinitely if its citizens no longer believe their government derives its authority from legitimate elections.
