In the face of a global crisis, democracy is in the crosshairs. The challenges are multiple, interlocking and complicated. They have turbo charged some autocratic dynamics and engendered a strand of positive democratic renewal. But they have also undermined trust and fuelled anti-democratic anger. The challenge now is to make sense of the interplay of these forces, and to determine their significance for the future of democracy.
The challenges range from the skepticism of citizens toward their elected representatives to the deepening distrust of established political institutions and the legitimacy of democracy itself. They have led to a reversal of democratic gains in some countries, including squelching open debate, pursuing dissidents and undermining rules-based institutions that are essential for the survival of democracy.
These developments have been driven by a range of factors, including economic uncertainty, climate and ecological stresses that can trigger anti-democratic frustrations, and the growing use of technology that enables new forms of control by powerful state actors. But they are also partly driven by the emergence of a broad and powerful movement for greater civic, democratic engagement and a reversal in the polarization of politics that has long been an underlying cause of political instability.
Princeton Public Library staff have been collecting resources to help readers explore the nature of this global crisis of democracy. This general book list and a specialized reading group list feature books that address these themes, as well as items from the library’s collections that have been recommended by our staff for use in this context.