Going, going, gone? The erosion of democracy in the USA

BRLSI’s Democracy Under Threat series invites you to pause and take stock by surveying the wealth of history and political thinking which underpins our long-held democratic systems and institutions. It explores the laying down of democratic principles from Ancient Athens to the present day, and takes in current scenarios in international geopolitics, while considering Britain as its own small island with its own set of political traditions.

So what of the U.S.A? The signing of the Declaration of Independence and the establishment of the US Constitution heralded in a new era of hope, based on core principles of power from the people, limited government, separation of powers among three branches, checks and balances, federalism, and the protection of individual rights. 250 years on and these principles are being threatened by declining trust in elections, partisan polarization, the erosion of democratic norms, checks and balances, increased executive power, and growing political violence.

Key factors eroding liberal democracy include challenges to electoral integrity, the weakening of media independence, the normalization of political violence, the politicization of the judiciary and law enforcement, and the growing power of the executive branch. The politicization of the civil service and legal targeting of political opponents and the use of rhetoric of “law and order” to limit political participation threaten to further concentrate power. Political polarization and growing economic inequality have fostered distrust in institutions, leading many voters to support the populist leaders driving these changes.

These developments are reflected in various democracy indices which have downgraded democratic health in the US, with some showing the US at the threshold of autocracy.

 Join Professors Paul D’Anieri and Rajan Menon in conversation with Andreas Wasmuht as they trace the background to these dangerous developments, explore their impacts on a global scale, and finally explore potential future trajectories of Democracy in the US and Democracy in general.

A discount of 20% is on offer to all those purchasing five tickets or more from the series, excluding the conference on the 4th of July.

This is the watch online booking page for this talk only. To book an in-person ticket for the all-day event, please go to the Democracy under Threat page here.

To learn more about Democracy Under Threat and the exciting range of speakers coming up as part of the programme, don’t forget to follow our Democracy Under Threat Webpage: https://www.brlsi.org/democracyunderthreat/