Final answer:
Rights and liberties in a democracy can be threatened through abuses by a police state, public apathy and disengagement, majority rule infringing upon minority rights, and officeholders seizing more power than allotted.
Step-by-step explanation:
In a democracy, rights and liberties can be threatened in several ways. Firstly, a lack of mechanisms to prevent abuses by a police state can undermine individual freedoms. Secondly, the public's apathy and disengagement from voting and politics can weaken the democratic process. Additionally, a majority in a democracy can enact laws that infringe upon the rights of a minority. Lastly, officeholders seizing more power than allotted to them by the constitution can also pose a threat to rights and liberties.