A Republic, if You Can Keep It

Abstract This chapter draws together the implications of the book, summarizing the discussion of how the four interlocking crises of 2020 shaped the election and its aftermath. The chapter also explores the ways in which this crisis-inflected election altered scholars’ understanding of campaigns and elections. In particular, it addresses the worrying implications of the legitimation of violence for some voters, the polarization of public health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the delegitimization of the election’s outcome for some Americans. It also discusses the citadels that endured, and the lessons we can draw from them to strengthen our democratic systems moving forward.