section_path: Twenty-first century/Origins/Undemocratic institutions
section_name: Undemocratic institutions
paragraph_text: Undemocratic institutions
  
  Huq also cited the inadequate democratization of national institutions since 1787. Levitsky and Ziblatt agree, finding 2016-2021 to be a period of democratic backsliding due largely to the inability to reform minoritarian institutions like the Electoral College and Senate that enabled reactionary xenophobic candidates to win office much more easily than in other democracies that had successfully reformed their institutions in the 20th century to be more representative. Tom Ginsburg and Bridgette Baldwin made similar arguments, citing the Supreme Court's role in shifting political power enough to enable authoritarianism. The Economist argues that the American constitution is more vulnerable to backsliding than parliamentary democracies, pointing to examples throughout history of backsliding to countries that copied the American model.
  
  Levitsky and Ziblatt argue that the US Constitution is the most difficult in the world to amend "by a lot" and that this helps explain why the US still has so many undemocratic institutions that most or all other democracies have reformed. Ari Berman criticized Article Five of the constitution, citing how as of 2024, 7% of US citizens in the 13 least populous states can block any constitutional amendment. Richard Albert says amending the US Constitution is virtually impossible, that it consistently ranks among the most difficult to amend. He cites partisan division as an explanation for how it was able to be amended at certain times and not others. He argues that instead of constitutional amendments, judges, legislatures and the executive have all taken new powers to implement changes they want to see made. He also wishes that the founders had opted for a different path during their discussions on Article V. Dan Balz and Clara Ence Morse criticized Article Five as having 'proved to be virtually impossible to change' despite being designed to be updated. Jill Lepore says that amending the constitution is a form of peaceful revolution, but when a constitution becomes so brittle and fixed, it could lead to an insurrection.