In an era of sharpened political agency and action, propelled by dramatic shifts and crises, democracy’s fate is more openly up for grabs than it has been in years. The erosion of democratic institutions is fueled by populist leaders and groups that reject pluralism and demand unchecked power to advance their own interests, often at the expense of minorities or perceived foes. This trend has led to corruption, human rights abuses, political instability and economic inequality.
Historically, we have assumed that democracies die at the hands of generals or elected leaders who dismantle them in sudden, bloody episodes such as Hitler’s 1933 Reichstag fire in Germany or the self-coup by President Kais Saied in Tunisia in 2021. But accumulating popular frustration with the socioeconomic performance of many incumbent democracies has also proved decisive in the backsliding of democracy in Brazil, Hungary and Poland, as well as the sagging popularity of Trump, Bolsonaro and the Law and Justice Party in America.
Adding to these pressures, three once-in-a-generation exogenous crises—climate change, the coronavirus pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—have changed the factors that both drive and hinder democratization and require reworking of conceptual accounts of democratic and authoritarian trends. These new drivers of change have amplified the dangers and risks to democracy but also opened windows for democratic renewal and resilience. But if democracy is to survive and thrive in this era of crisis, it needs more than just a reboot—it must be recommitted to fundamental democratic values.
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