Introduction Saving Liberal Democracy from Itself Since the 1960s, po­liti­cal conflict in the Western world has been growing increasingly adversarial and intractable. In the United States, we have now reached the point where po­liti­cal opponents agree on almost nothing, not even the most basic facts. ­People have sorted themselves into ideological “tribes” whose worldviews are increasingly at odds. Support for demo­cratic ideals and princi­ples, such as tolerance and compromise, are weakening. It’s not simply that formal institutions have been shaken—­the informal norms that underpin them have become more fragile.1 Rules concerning transparency, conflict of interest, civil discourse, re­spect for the opposition and freedom of the press, and equal treatment of citizens are all eroding. Much of the public is angry, resentful, and preoccupied with prob­lems and issues that have no apparent solution. Many ­people seem to be open to “alternatives” to liberal democracy.2 But why? ­ After all, as Steven Pinker points out, the history of the United States (and indeed, of the entire Western world) over the past three centu- ries is a story of gradual, not always even, but nevertheless continuous pro­ gress: expanding freedom, growing tolerance, rising prosperity, improving health and safety, advancing knowledge, and burgeoning technological prowess.3 Why, then—­despite all the achievements of liberal demo­cratic in the long strug­gle to eliminate the perennial woes and ills of ­socie­ties human existence—is ­there so much discontent, misery, and rage? Why ­ aren’t we all ecstatic about the im­mense gains we have made and the prom- ise of even greater achievements to come? 4 The short answer is that liberalism—­the body of beliefs, princi­ples, and institutions that emerged during the cultural revolution known as the Enlightenment—­has succeeded too well.5 To its credit, liberalism has sought
Previous Page Next Page