Democracy's radical core idea is that we can collaborate, as equals, to determine our own futures. Tracing this concept from the earliest "assembly democracies" in Syria-Mesopotamia to European-style "electoral democracy," John Keane looks to our uncertain present, a time when democracies face new challenges. Keane also notes that because of our always-on communication channels, governments answer to voters on Election Day but face intense scrutiny every day—a situation with both rewards and risks.