It's just a belief

In the beginning humans were life that struggled to survive. The strongest and most prolific (and luckiest to be in the most hospitable place at the right time) survived. Each individual was out for themselves. There was no family there was no group there was no future. There was only now. They struggled to survive then they multiplied.
     Then what is now known as human evolved into a being that understood the time line of family, my progeny, the loins from which I was begat, the bigger, stronger, smarter being that protects and feeds me and at this point offspring were no longer food. Offspring became your destiny. Offspring became what you left behind.
     As families banded together to prosper order had to be applied to the social unit. All procreation was not OK. And taboos and rules had to be applied to maintain order. ‘Thou shalt not’ came into being and a new goal was offered up to replace the procreation goal. ‘If you follow the rules you will live on after death.’ And so it has been to this day.’
     At some point the idea of life after death will become unnecessary. Death will be overcome by science and fear of it will free us from the fear of ‘thou shalt not’ and belief in life after death will go away along with it those who have controlled those that believed.

What Needs Fix'n...

So how can we fix our democracy?
     You suggest that our democracy is somehow broken or in disrepair. That is has failed and needs fixing. You do not give any examples of how our form of government has failed. I suggest that you are wrong. Our democracy does not need fixing. It is or is very nearly perfect. Keep your hands off of it.
     The problems I see in our great country come from the imbalance between capitalism (an amazing system to produce wealth and power) and the people needed to manage and support capitalism. Today capitalism has the upper hand and it is the legal system that has let the people down. Money has been given the rights that should be only given to the people. In a dispute capitalism can out last and out muscle most people.
     Educate the people so they can use our wonderful democracy and the amazing constitution it rest on, to elect people who will make and enforce a legal system for the people.
     What we need are laws that realign power so people have a chance against capitalism.
     If a person is punished we take away hours, days, weeks, months years (or dollars that represent hours of life) or even life itself. If capitalism is punished we take away pennies.
     Companies have grown so large that fines are nothing more than pocket change. It’s like a billionaire getting a $300 traffic fine. It doesn’t change their behavior. Businesses need to be afraid for their very lives, their very existence. And retribution has to be swift.
     So leave my democracy alone and repair undemocratic capitalism. Big business has sent us to war and ruined our economy. It kills people and the flora and fauna of mother earth every day. Stop the abuse and stop it now. Give the people back the power and make capitalism serve the people, all of the people not just the top 1%.