ABSTRACT
We compare three successful continental democratic unions—the United States of America, the union of states of India, and the European Union—to assess the viability of democracy at great scales. The formulas used by the three unions include asymmetries in the relations between the member states and the center, vertical division of powers between the center and the states, and multiple channels of people’s representation at the union level. With some variants, these three mechanisms should be sufficient to enable any sizeable democratic union to flourish.
