This edition of Social Alternatives will focus on the theme of democracy in danger. It will consider some criteria for democracy and the case put by those who fear for democracy’s health. The validity or otherwise of these fears will be evaluated through a series of cases explored in the articles in this edition. The first four articles relate to Australia; the fifth explores the threat to civil liberties and abuse of executive powers in the US since 9/11. The sixth article examines the way the Japanese Prime Minister has used executive power to undermine the nonaggression clause in the Constitution. The final article shows how the privacy rights of passengers to the USA have been undermined, with public opposition in Europe, but with barely a murmur in Australia.