In 1776, America's Founders proclaimed the new nation a republic with a democratic form of government. Although American democracy has survived for almost 250 years, the rise of populist nationalism in the United States and abroad creates a potent threat that highlights democracy's vulnerability.

In this important and timely work, Gary Hart argues that only by restoring the qualities of the republic in America, namely popular sovereignty, a sense of the common good, resistance to corruption, and civic virtue, can American democracy be saved.