A theme shared by several writers, from Aristotle to Levitsky and Ziblatt, is that democracies work best when there’s solidarity and cohesion—and even ties of friendship—among citizens and leaders in a political community. How do writers make this argument, and is it persuasive?

A theme shared by several writers, from Aristotle to Levitsky and Ziblatt, is that democracies work best when there’s solidarity and cohesion—and even ties of friendship—among citizens and leaders in a political community. How do writers make this argument, and is it persuasive? In writing your essay, you should certainly discuss Aristotle’s Politics, How Democracies Die, and In the Ruins of Neoliberalism.