Criteria are the reason why something

However, precepts are the principle or bedrocks of democracy. Hence here is more suitable as (ii) blank

Regards

A (i) _____ democracy must be built on certain (ii) _____ in order to survive. Giving the populace the right to vote without establishing the rule of law makes a young democracy (iii) _____ to devolving into a dictatorship.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)	Blank (iii)
A. well-established	D. precepts	G. dedicated
B. nascent	E. criteria	H. resolute
C. representative	F. precedents	I. prone

The answers are B, D and I.

Blank (i): "Nascent" appropriately describes a democracy in its early or beginning stages, indicating that the discussion revolves around a young or developing democracy.

Blank (ii): "Precepts" refers to foundational principles or rules that are fundamental to the functioning of a democracy. These are the essential guidelines necessary for the establishment and sustenance of a democratic system.

Blank (iii): "Prone" indicates the susceptibility or vulnerability of a young democracy to negative outcomes, such as the risk of devolving into a dictatorship, particularly when these foundational principles (precepts) are not firmly established.

Therefore, the completion using "nascent," "precepts," and "prone" effectively conveys the idea that a young democracy requires certain foundational principles (precepts) for survival, and without them, it's vulnerable to negative outcomes like devolving into a dictatorship.