Suppose you were in conversation with someone about the features of a democracy -- what are some items you would list? Popular sovereignty, freedom to vote, and the rule of law are some ideas that would come to mind. Other important aspects of a democracy might include an independent judiciary. But there is one feature I believe is fundamental and critical: the ability to criticize the policies of the government. In his book The Case for Democracy, Natan Sharansky, a Soviet dissident and the most well-known refusenik, lays out a case study to ...
