Dear 10-year-old Me,

Democracy in America is not what you believe it to be. The idea that everyone counts, and that America is governed by the people, will change. By the time you’re 32, the Justice Department will betray the nation. The Supreme Court will rule in favor of corporations, allowing them to consume democracy. Mass media will dominate social discourse and work to destabilize the government. So ya, democracy is not what you believe it to be.