Liberalism or Democracy: A Choice, we are best to avoid making?

We are living in interesting times, where nothing can be taken for guaranteed, even if it is liberal democracy that has been existing in the country for long. The type of leaders emerging within democracies across the world, the tenure and content public discourse and the everyday challenges made to the established engagement norms, all point towards winds of change. 

It is this phenomenon that Mounk very lucidly and comprehensively explains in this book- explaining the emerging trend, the reasons behind these trends and what possible remedies to arrest shifts in the political systems prevailing in consolidated liberal democracies.

Author uses his academic astuteness and global experiences, mainly from North America and Western European Countries, to explain the threats to liberal democracies in a way, which is easy for layman with no political science background to not only understand fully, but pause to deliberate upon.   

Mounk presents several supporting surveys and trends to underline the declining appeal of Democracy:  Young are less interested in politics, growing appeal for strong leaders (2017: 33%-Germany, 48% France & 50% Britain) who may not bother about congress or elections, and living in democracy is not essential for large part of populace instead there is growing acceptance of army rule.  

The reasons for this democracy recession could be disappointment with present situation and also limited understanding of what it means to live in authoritarian society, among the younger population.

In this context, there has been rise of Populist leaders, who present themselves as strong leaders, with scant regard to democratic norms and institutions, and claim to be true nationalists.  Once in power, these Populists can take society away from being a liberal democracy to illiberal democracy and finally authoritarian rule, following almost a predictable trajectory. 

Mounk has almost presented almost a handbook, which explains the Populists winning behaviors and strategies, after studying across rise of Populist leaders across America and Western European countries (Turkey. Poland, Hungry, France, Germany, Italy, Greece eg.).

The Populist Handbook starts with:

Pitching for office……..

1. Populist claims that there are common sense simple solutions possible for issues that bother the majority in the society- ban imports to create domestic jobs, ban immigration to improve security etc. etc. 
2. Further, Ruling dispensation is not willing to take these obvious steps, as they either want to protect the interest of special groups (cronies, financers, foreign friends) or have other priorities than serving the society at large.  The whole system is rigged by the economic elite, narrow interest groups and financers, at the cost of common man
3. There is another set of populace (ethnicity, social class, religion, or political conviction) who is gaining at the cost of majority, adding to the vows of common public.  They need to be contained and placed behind in the overall hierarchy of social and economic hierarchy.
4. I am your voice and true nationalist- anyone who opposes me is a traitor!  

And once in office…..

1. Reality of the complex situation and limitations of simplistic solutions become evident- It starts with blaming the guiding intellectuals and lamenting that situation is much worse than expected.
2. Discredit institutions that question solutions with biased loyalties to earlier establishment or foreign funders- limit foreign grants and funding to these institutions or bodies/NGOs.
3. Take stringent measures against independent journalists and build up a network of loyalist media that cheers every move and celebrate imagined accomplishments
4. Systematically fill the positions in independent institutions with loyalists and avid supporters.
5. Curtail the power of independent institutions including judiciary, who has the power to question or comment upon the actions of the Populist- as he is the sole and true representative of the will of people.
6. And if there are provisions like direct democracy possible – in the form of referendums, Populists are able to exploit their appeal to majority to inflict further constrains on the outsiders- immigrants, religions, communities, institutions etc.  

Three key causes behind the ascendancy of the appeal of populist strongmen type leaders

a.       Economic anxiety about the future, which is caused by globalization, technological advancements, especially among the masses who have seen prolonged period of economic stagnation and wherein the present generation is not relatively as better-off as their parents were at same stage of life. The prevailing disillusionment and anxiety is often translated into frustration and mistrust of the ruling politicians that often belong to liberal democratic cadre. 

b.      Demographic anxiety faced by the majoritarian natives (who were the original mono-ethnic groups that lived within the nation boundaries) of the increased influence and voice of the immigrants (and those who look/ wear and appear differently) in the resource sharing and decision making, exercising their democratic and legal rights, makes majority resentful of the present system and enhances the appeal populists, who promises recreating pure, monoethnic, blissful national identity of yesteryears (Make America great again!. Take back the control-UK).

c.       Virtual echo-chambers that social media offers to public be part of means that there is increased intensity and frequency of the conversations between the like-minded people about others, without much need to differentiate between the truth, perception and bias and also without need to make an effort to understand the others’ perspective. It is easy to coordinate and share the messages that questions establishment and organize revolts using the power of social media.  Populists leaders seems to be really effective in its usage, with their stronger messaging mixed with conspiracy theories, hatred laden quotes, and imaginary good-old-days.

If we have to save the liberal democracy remedies Mounk suggests:

a.       Stop populists from making further power grabs- oppose erosion of institutions and norms, embolden judges to question unconstitutional laws, support embattled media houses, and force international governments and organizations to put pressure. 

b.      Successfully avoiding reelection of the populists is the only and most effective remedy to save liberal democracy.  This would require opposition unity, alternate positive development narrative that would address real concerns, and to be communicated in the language of the ordinary people.  Only highlighting the failing of the populists isn’t enough.

c.       Liberal democracies need to define the economic reforms agenda that address real and imagined economic deprivation and sense of inequality. Some of suggested economic reforms include reforming taxation, reducing housing costs, enhancing workforce productivity and recommitting to state welfare obligations.  These steps would not only help  improve standards of living, but also convey to populace that the government is in control and not overly giving to forces of technological advancements and global competition and compulsions- the blame that populists fully exploit.

d.      Liberal democracies need to do better job in ensuring that principles are uniformly applied to all its citizens, whatever their ethnic or religious backgrounds.   This goes beyond passing laws to removing structural impediments and implicit discrimination, as is often seen in the children composition in different schools or employment in Corporate. Off-course, to address phobia against reckless immigration, liberal democracies need to establish clearer and appropriate norms on who gets to acquire citizenship in their land.

e.       It’s important the young and next generations have deeper understanding of political context and principles that influence their lives, so that they are fully engaged in the democratic processes.  Mounk laments the loosing importance of teaching Civic in schools and reiterates the need to strengthen the Civic coupe teachings that not only educates the young and would-be voters about their political system, but also present its evolution, strengths and gaps in a balanced positive manner.

There can be debate on the exhaustiveness or the relative significance of the three reasons for the decline of liberal democracies, and also the applicability of proposed remedies in all contexts.  But there is convincing case made against the growing appeal of Populists and threat to Liberal Democracy, and hence the need for the concerned populace to actively work towards arresting and possibly reversing the trend.    

Choosing to live between “Democracy without Rights” or “Rights without Democracy” is not an easy one, especially those who have lived better part of their lives in Liberal Democratic system.