Over the past few months, we have worried a great deal about the fragility of democracy. From the United States and Brazil to Sweden and Italy, the system seemed to be facing real challenges. Yet, in all of these cases, elections have had the effect of taming many of the most illiberal forces, and, at least for now, the center has held.

Meanwhile, we are seeing signs of deep and structural weaknesses in some of the world’s most powerful autocracies, including China and Russia.