The Crisis of Liberal Democracy in the Face of Populism

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Session Description

Often described as a threat to liberal democracy and also as a symptom of the failures of liberal pluralism, the rise of populist movements has spurred scholars to reconsider where liberal democracies have gone wrong and what ought to be done. In this particular panel we examine what this populist moment tells us about liberal democracy and what it means for its future. Some of the questions presenters will engage with include: Are liberal democracies ill-equipped to confront the problems of economic inequality that fuel populist movements? What are the distinct challenges of left and right populisms? Can liberal democracies confront the perceived populist threat without compromising their core values? Or does this populist moment urge us to rethink what those core values are and what the balance among them ought to be?

Sub Unit

• Theme Panel

Chair

• Harris Mylonas George Washington University

Presenters

• Sheri Berman Barnard College, Columbia University

• William A. Galston The Brookings Institution

• Yascha Mounk Harvard University

• Pippa Norris Harvard University and University of Sydney

• Javier Corrales Amherst College