The main problem with democracy is that, with its focus on what the majority wants, it can often ignore what is right. Just because something happens to command majority support, it doesn't mean that it's the right thing to do. A prime example of this would be the system of racial segregation in the southern states of America in the early part of the twentieth century. This system, though morally wrong, nonetheless enjoyed the overwhelming support of the (white) voters, who endorsed it time and time again when they came to cast their ballots.
A formal system of democracy, though enshrining the principle of majority rule, doesn't take into account the way that voters can be manipulated by political parties and special interest groups into voting the way they want them to. In virtually all democratic societies, most voters are shockingly ill-informed regarding the main political issues of the day. This makes them all the more vulnerable to just the kind of blatant manipulation by political and corporate elites that is becoming more widespread in our time.
Democracy is one of the most predominant forms of government in the world. Despite its popularity, however, a democracy can cause problems because it contains a number of drawbacks.
Firstly, because a democracy acts in the interest of the majority, there is a danger that the interests of minority groups will not be heard or considered in the political process. Whether this group is an ethnic minority group, a refugee group, or some other form of minority, a democracy should strive to meet the needs of all of its residents, no matter how small the group.
Secondly, there are considerable costs associated with a democratic government. According to the Washington Post, for instance, the 2016 presidential elections cost a staggering $6.5 billion. We could argue that this money would be better spent on education, health, or housing, rather than choosing a new president. A democracy, therefore, can be problematic from a financial perspective.
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