Jefferson was optimistic about the ability of a well-informed electorate to hold politicians accountable, and it’s easy to see why: In a democracy, the people hold the ultimate power of government. Empowered with the vote, an informed electorate can vote politicians out of their offices.
Try telling a classroom of students that it’s possible for a presidential candidate to win the majority of votes in the U.S., but still lose the election—and that it has happened four times. Bush v. Gore wasn’t the first time!
