, Columnist
Parliamentary Democracies Are Just Better at Resisting Populism
A clear advantage is emerging for countries that don't directly elect a president.
Many votes are better than one.
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Recent and upcoming political upheavals in a number of countries provide some evidence that the institutional design of democracies can be critically important. A clear advantage is emerging for countries that don't directly elect a president: They are more likely to resist the wave of populism sweeping the West.
Where there are no direct presidential elections, populists must win many individual elections over many cycles in order to rise to a nation’s chief executive; Donald Trump seized the White House in his first run for public office. It took less than 17 months.