Democracy in crisis

The world has entered a period of “democratic recession.” Rising economic inequality, globalization, and the expansion of state power have led to a breakdown in across-the-isle discourse, and an increase in personality-driven politics. Whether these trends are temporary, or mark the unraveling of the liberal democratic order, is an open question. Leveraging examples drawn from both his native India and the United States, Barun S. Mitra, director of the New Delhi-based Liberty Institute, presents a case for cautious optimism about the long-term future of liberal democracy, even while predicting that political upheavals will intensify in the near term.