As a non American, the expectation that your democracy only survives because your elected dictators-in-waiting are too scared to take the mask off is such a wei

As a non American, the expectation that your democracy only survives because your elected dictators-in-waiting are too scared to take the mask off is such a weird concept. There are no (or very few) other democracies with that culture. From the outside, it seems that culture and those attitudes are more likely to erode your democracy than protect it. A tiny minority viewpoint could create that fear, get that protection enabled, and then you've lost that leverage over the politicians you're touting. As democracies go, US politicians are already the most removed from contact with their citizens - it already seems like you're in a vicious circle here. Politicians fearing their citizens doesn't seem like a good basis to form a healthy democracy on.