I find it interesting that both Illing and Zakaria both point to an expansion of voting power and the selection of candidates as being threatening to liberal democracy. The concept of direct election of Senators and the opening of primaries to any candidate are typically heralded as expanding the rights of the general populace and expanding democratic principles. It is interesting to then see Zakaria and Illing identify these changes such as these as being part of the problem for liberal democracies. It was also interesting the discussion between Illling and Zakaria about the need for party strength in order to have a well functioning by mediating popular passions and public policy. The current state of the Republican Party indicates the fractious nature of the current system and the movement away from the strong party. The recent arguments between Trump and congressional Republicans indicate a troubling state of affairs for the United States, many completely opposing themselves to him and giving up reelection as a way to avoid political repercussions. The next presidential and congressional elections, however, will be telling as to the current state of affairs for the United States democracy. If there is a rejection of Trump and his type of politics, and a shift back towards the more bipartisan and mainstream politics of the past things could potentially shift back towards a more stable state of democratic affairs. This, however, seems unlikely given the increasing polarization and the rise of outsider candidates on both sides as seen in the popularity of Bernie Sanders on the Democratic side of the previous presidential election and in the significant portion of the United States populace that rejected mainstream politicians such as Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton. This all and all spells worry for the current democratic system within the United States and the for the survival of U.S. democratic society as we know it.