Can Democracy Survive?

"Democracy has disappeared in several other great nations, not because the people of those nations disliked democracy, but because they had grown tired of unemployment and insecurity, of seeing their children hungry while they sat helpless in the face of government confusion and government weakness through lack of leadership. Finally, in desperation, they chose to sacrifice liberty in the hope of getting something to eat." -Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1938

This same quote could apply to much of the world today, where people seem increasingly frustrated with democratic governments that they perceive are unable or unwilling to listen to them or to effectively address their concerns.

In my experience, there are two often contradictory forces that govern human behavior – reality and the perception of reality.

No matter how much one strives to discuss reality in political circles, the bottom line is that it is our individual perceptions of reality that govern our opinions, thoughts, and behavior. It is not necessarily the unbiased truth or the reality of any given situation that shapes our views and reactions but rather our subjective analysis that dictate how we interpret and react to events around us. 

The perception of many is that the political class seeks leadership positions not to improve the lives of citizens but to obtain and hold on to power, enrich themselves, and ensure that the “system” remains in place to their benefit.

Many feel that the political class doesn’t listen to them, that the average citizen has no ability to engage or change the direction that governments take, and that, in the end, political parties cater to the needs of their ruling caste rather than to the voters. 

For many, it can be frustrating to see how slowly democracies work with seemingly endless, sometimes chaotic, debates that appear to be the rule rather than quick, decisive action to address issues important to the people.

Perceptions.

They make the world go round and reality be damned, they can motivate the average person in any given society.

And that leads me to a question: what kind of system could ensure that the average voter feels understood, that their needs and aspirations are being served, and that politics works to their benefit rather than their detriment?

According to the Pew Center, “ideas at the core of liberal democracy remain popular among global publics, but commitment to democracy can nonetheless be weak…Views about the performance of democratic systems are decidedly negative in many nations. 51% of those polled are not satisfied with democracy in their country, while just 45% are content with it. Frustration with the political norm is due to many citizens believing that elections bring “little change and that politicians are corrupt and out of touch.”

Eastern European countries that have enjoyed democracy for only 30 years have the most dissatisfied citizens – Hungary is already reverting to an authoritarian, highly nationalistic state, as are Slovenia and Serbia. Poland is also legislating against a free media and against basic human rights for the LGBTQ community.

In Latin America, Latinobarometro, a major regional polling organization reports that a full 52% of those surveyed do not believe that democracy is the best system of governance. 

Latinobarometro goes on to say that voters continue moving away from the political parties, and that they are angry and upset with the inherent corruption of politics and the elites, facilitating the emergence of populist and anti-system leaders who cultivate more engaged followers on both the right and the left.

Although technology is creating powerful networks, recent events indicate that globalization appears to be on the decline and is being replaced in many places by varying degrees of nationalism. 

The United States, once perceived to be the bulwark of representative democracy is cracking under the pressure of voter cynicism and dissatisfaction. A recent Pew Poll found that many Americans are skeptical of both parties. For example, fewer than half of Americans say the Democratic Party (45%) and Republican Party (39%) “governs in an honest and ethical way.”

Much the same can be seen in other democracies where voter turnout is on the decline especially amongst the young who are distracted by social media and who like many of us are getting their news from a variety of sources, some legitimate, some manipulated.

Indeed, the consolidation of media and power of ungoverned multinational players such as Fox, Facebook, Yahoo and Twitter has diluted and further limited the ability of governments and leaders to effectively communicate to their publics as they must compete against a sea of content. This has contributed to a distracted voting public with a shorter, more easily influenceable attention span.

Moreover, instant communications demand instant responses, depriving political leaders of the time with which to reflect on major crises and forcing them to take immediate actions that often don’t contribute to effective solutions. The result is their inability to provide the right mix of policies to increasingly frustrated and intolerant voters.

So, can anything be done to restore faith in leadership and institutions, to better direct the role and use of technology and to reverse voter apathy? Is the pendulum swinging backwards from liberty, openness, globalization and unity toward nationalism, autocracy, dictatorship and conflict?

If we return to Roosevelt’s vision in the 1930’s, the emerging dictatorships in Europe of that decade did create the perception of being effective and decisive economic managers even though their rule led to the repression of individual freedoms and the resulting world war and Holocaust. 

This time around, China is using trade and investment activities to lure a good part of the world toward its orbit. While it practices oppression against democratic opponents, and its Uyghur and Tibetan minorities this seems to matter little to many of its clients. 

China offers many countries a model for economic development and social organization that isn’t contingent on respect for human rights and democratic norms. This is attractive to the powers that be in many countries who reject the perceived chaos of liberal democracy. They see the Chinese model to remain in power indefinitely with power concentrated in their hands without an opposition or a free media.

Can liberal democracy survive this tectonic shift in the balance of economic and political power?

Not without much effort to woo back the masses of the discontented with effective policies and well-honed strategic communications techniques. 

The question is, can leaders achieve this as voter frustration mounts and the siren call of populist autocrats beckons? 

Keep reading: Can Democracy Survive?

[email protected]

Edición: Laura Espejo