Yes it is a threat. Consider Hitler - democratically elected and serving the wants of the majority. Subsequently he dismantled the democratic institutions and sent millions to their deaths.
Democracy, in the modern sense of the word, isn't the unrestrained rule of the mob, it's a system of checks and balances that represent interests of various groups of people in order to make a more perfect union.
The biggest threat to democracy is the dissolution of faith in democracy caused by immensely popular politicians who fail to keep the promises that get them elected. I'm not just talking about one party.
I sincerely believe that this is the biggest threat democratic forms of government have ever faced. This form of government depends heavily on a public that places some level of trust in its institutions, and are free of targeted campaigns of mass manipulation.
Democracy is the heart of the US, and an attack on it is an existential threat. If there's any evidence of this, it should be responded to with due measure.
This is nothing new though. For decades (perhaps longer), democracies have been subverted and are, unfortunately, a liability for many countries. Patriots see it as their duty to protect their countries by insulating themselves against this subversion and consolidating power. It's a dangerous trend.
I consider socio-economic polarization an existential threat to democracy: Money buys political influence, so I would argue there's a legitimate fear of capitalist societies turning into oligarchies.
>“With many democratic institutions under threat across the globe — often by leaders with authoritarian or populist tendencies — we need to do more to strengthen checks and balances and protect citizens’ rights,” said Patricia Moreira, managing director of Transparency International in a press statement.
So a politician responding to what the "populace" (i.e. the demos) wants ("populism") is a threat to democracy. Hmm.
I wouldn't go as far as declaring the democracy being under the existential threat just yet. The alleged malfunction in the US does not necessarily represent a trend.
Maybe we can learn from governance systems that have survived over a long period of time? Say, Swiss direct referendums. What I also like in their system is that elected officials are rotated frequently. For instance the president is elected for a period of just 1 year.
Until all nations are healthy democracies, the institution of democracy faces an existential threat.
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