This paper explains that popular sovereignty, the primary foundation of democracy, has several weaknesses because, although
it would be nice to believe that all humans are equally capable and willing to base all political decisions on a careful process of reasoning, this is often the exception to behavior rather than the rule. The author points out that, if apathetic sentiments towards politics begin to run through the
population, the results are just as damaging; votes with little thought behind them can create decisions that don't reflect the interests of the majority of the population. The paper relates that, ultimately, the balance of democracy's strengths over its
weaknesses in practice is a very precarious one; it is in the hands of the population to safeguard and fortify this structure.