Democracy is facing defensive challenges globally due to deep-rooted issues such as growing inequality, political polarization fueled by the internet and social media, demographic shifts, and the rise of authoritarian regimes and wars. The perception that democratic institutions are failing to serve citizens contributes to a global sentiment against democracy. Rapid technological advancements and the complexity of modern challenges have led some to question the efficacy of democratic decision-making compared to the decisive actions of autocratic regimes. Additionally, younger generations in Western democracies, facing generational threats like pandemics and climate change, show increasing openness to alternative systems, as reflected in a 2021 poll where a majority of Americans aged 18 to 34 had a favorable view of socialism.
Abolish Two-Party Systems
The current crisis in liberal democracy is intricately tied to profound economic and demographic shifts. Economic opportunities now center on major cities, where a multicultural urban elite is reshaping cultural norms. Meanwhile, rural and post-industrial regions, feeling neglected by globalization, witness the rise of far-right populists who reject liberal democracy's values. Trumpism and Brexit exemplify this urban-rural divide, intensified by first-past-the-post elections in the US and UK. This system fosters a polarized, us-versus-them dynamic, unlike proportional democracies in northern Europe. The article advocates for voting reform, emphasizing that proportional representation allows for flexible coalitions, steering liberal democracies away from irreconcilable identity polarization.
Destroy Surveillance Capitalism
Surveillance capitalism, led by tech giants like Google, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, and Apple, poses a grave threat to democracy, dominating global information and communication systems without public accountability. The erosion of privacy, information concentration, and societal divisions are exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Western democracies lag behind in establishing a vision for a democratic digital future, focusing on inadequate regulations. The author proposes three principles: applying democratic rule of law universally, addressing unprecedented harms by banning private data extraction, and establishing new rights, such as epistemic rights. To preserve democracy, a counterrevolution is imperative, urging democracies to lead against surveillance capitalism and safeguard self-governance.
Break Down the Barriers
The chief threat to Western liberal democracies emanates not from external forces like China or Russia but from internal anxieties within white majorities as demographic shifts jeopardize their dominance. The response of white, Christian populations to fortify against racial and cultural changes has fueled illiberal politics worldwide. However, as demographic transformations persist, saving liberal democracy requires fostering a shared citizenship resilient to power reallocations. The challenge is formidable, with racial debates lacking a unifying center. Addressing inequalities is crucial, but contentious proposals like reparations risk deepening divisions. Inclusivity measures, such as countering residential segregation and implementing national service programs, are suggested to humanize diverse communities and salvage liberal democracy by engaging citizens across identity boundaries.
Build an Alliance of Democracies
Liberal democracy is facing a global decline, and autocrats are gaining confidence. To counter this trend, the world's democracies, representing over 70% of global GDP, should leverage their power and unite against democratic backsliding and divisive tactics by autocracies. The suggestion is to establish a coalition of the willing—a formal alliance among like-minded nations. Focused not only on summits but tangible outcomes, the alliance should address urgent challenges such as economic coercion and emerging technologies. An economic version of NATO's Article 5 could be developed to respond to economic attacks, while democracies should collaborate on defining norms for emerging technologies, preventing China's dominance in the tech race and protecting citizens' rights in the digital realm. The alliance should also demonstrate tangible benefits for emerging democracies to strengthen the appeal of democratic values.
To Secure Democracy, Face Up to the Past
A key attribute of healthy liberal democracies is their capacity to accept criticism, including acknowledging past misdeeds. While dictators erase history for self-glorification, democracies sometimes overlook dark chapters, fostering polarization and radicalization. Strong democracies confront their past, evident in memorials like Berlin's Holocaust memorial, Washington's museums on Native American and African American history, Cambodia's Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, and acknowledgment of Indigenous mistreatment in Australia and Canada. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda emphasized at Joe Biden's Summit for Democracy that democratic resilience hinges on resolving conflicts through acknowledging failures, particularly towards minorities. Civil society and media must freely criticize, making a nation's willingness to face its past a measure of democratic strength and a potential criterion for participating in democratic summits.
Call Out the Traitors
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated strategic corruption campaigns in 2013-2014, intensifying threats to democracies. Russian oligarchs linked to Putin employ corruptly acquired wealth to influence Western elections, coerce officials, and subvert democratic processes. Xi's Belt and Road Initiative, focusing on large-scale infrastructure projects, spreads Beijing's authoritarian model using opaque investments and bribery. Addressing this challenge requires Western governments to scrutinize sectors enabling money movement, implement comprehensive legal revisions, and enforce radical transparency. Recent U.S. steps like banning anonymous shell companies indicate progress, but every major democracy must adopt stringent measures to counter entrenched illicit money flows, acknowledging corruption as a severe national security threat. Foot-dragging on anti-corruption reforms must be recognized as potentially treasonous or corrupt, demanding decisive action to safeguard democracies.
Cease-Fire in the Culture Wars
For liberal democracies to thrive, they must adopt policies fostering economic prosperity, embrace an inclusive vision of diversity, revitalize institutions, reaffirm commitment to founding ideals, and resist authoritarian pressures. While these reforms are challenging, initiating a modest cease-fire is proposed as a starting point. Authoritarian populists gain traction when citizens perceive themselves as targets in a cultural war, facing disdain from powerful societal elements. The call is for elites, acknowledging the importance of each citizen's vote, to propose an armistice by cultivating respect, understanding, and trust, fostering social peace and countering the appeal of authoritarian populists through democratic processes.
Stop the Corporate Enablers of Tyranny
Liberal democracies face a threat from the unregulated commercial market for intelligence-grade software and technologies, such as spy and hacking systems. These tools, easily accessible to anyone with financial means, endanger the free press, freedom of expression, and the right to privacy. While currently, the victims often reside in repressive regimes, the potential for these technologies to be used against democratic societies is real. Urgent accountability is needed to address hacking, spyware systems, and other technologies, including mass surveillance, which play a role in undermining democratic principles. Democracies must act promptly to regulate these technologies and preserve democratic values in the digital era.
Digital and Disinformation Defense
Liberal democracies are inadequately addressing the threat posed by authoritarian governments through hacking, doxxing, and disinformation campaigns. Russian hacking groups have targeted various institutions globally, including the U.S. Congress, State and Defense departments, the Democratic National Committee, and foreign ministries. Russia has also conducted disinformation campaigns influencing elections and referendums. Democracies need to recognize this as a broader threat, overcome bureaucratic silos, and establish interdisciplinary agencies for comprehensive responses. Cross-border cooperation is crucial, requiring information-sharing and coordinated responses. Existing institutions like NATO and the EU should enhance their mandates and policies to effectively counteract threats to democratic values.
The Oldest Question in Politics
The rise of illiberal democracy poses a serious threat to the United States, with a significant portion of the electorate, particularly within the Republican Party, rejecting the legitimacy of the opposition and viewing elections won by the opposition as fraudulent. This mindset challenges the core principles of liberal democracy and introduces the risk of ongoing contested elections and efforts to delegitimize elected leaders. The roots of this phenomenon lie in the deepening partisan divide in the U.S., which has become as much a cultural as a political divide. The founders, inspired by Enlightenment thinkers like James Madison, designed a system based on the assumption that people need not be virtuous for the political machine to function. However, the current challenges suggest a need to reevaluate and address the erosion of democratic institutions worldwide.
In navigating these strategies, liberal democracies can reinforce their foundations, adapt to modern challenges, and renew their commitment to the values that define the democratic ideal.
Publisher: Olusola Olaniyi
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