H. L. Mencken was one of the greatest contrarian minds of the twentieth century. As a columnist for the Baltimore Sun, he was an outspoken skeptic of America's most cherished institutionsânamely, organized religion and representative democracy.
In Notes on Democracy, Mencken presents an incisive critique of how democratic ideals are doomed to fall short in practice. From disproportional representation to rampant political corruption, Mencken's assessmentsâfirst published in 1926âare surprisingly applicable today.