Can Democracy, as we have in America, answer the questions requiring more than one election cycle to resolve?
Looking back over the last five years, it seems that democracy, as it exists in America does not have the ability to consider long term solutions to problems facing the USA. This is apparent with the rebuilding of New Orleans after Katrina. A permenent solution to the problem in New Orleans would be to haul in about 3-4 cubic miles of fill and raise the level of New Orleans (95 square miles = about 55 feet raised per cubic mile of fill) to where it is above any possible hurricane surge or flooding from ruptured levies which would no longer be needed. It is only a question of expense, priorities and will.
Politicians are more concerned with projects which can be completed in 2-3 years and can therefore serve to get themselves re-elected than they are concerned with projects which would be effective for hundreds of years.
This shortsightedness is also apparent in other areas such as the environment, the infrastructure for sewage treatment, the lack of disposal of used nuclear materials, etc.