In less than three decades, world democracy has suffered from the most serious setbacks in its history. As populist leaders reject pluralism and demand unchecked power to advance their narrow interests, a wave of democratic backsliding threatens global peace and prosperity. In the worst cases, authoritarian powers step up internal repression and export malign influence. Their actions erode domestic democracy and foster a broader disdain for rules and institutions that ensure peaceful transfers of power, respect for minority views, and fair play. This is a defining challenge for the twenty-first century.
But while a dominant narrative of democracy in crisis has emerged, the reality is more complicated. While a set of powerful trends are contributing to democracy’s decline, they also fuel positive dynamics of democratic renewal. These are shaped by three overarching exogenous crises: the devastation of climate change, the tumult of post-neoliberal capitalism, and the escalation of geopolitical conflict.
While the United States resembles Hungary, Russia, Turkey, Venezuela, and other recent cases of democratic backsliding, it is distinct in important ways. Its underlying institutions are more robust, its federalism is more intact, and committed professional civil servants have resisted the White House’s attempts to purge, politicize, and limit their autonomy. While these efforts are far from enough to restore democratic vitality, they have helped slow the onset of a full-blown crisis. Far-reaching democratic innovation that gives citizens effective influence over epoch-defining issues will further strengthen the foundations of this era’s democracy.