The Current Conundrum of Democracy: A Survey of the Global Political Landscape

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.

By Zach Curinga
September 27, 2024

As public administrators, the future appears increasingly uncertain. It has become clear that as polarizing positions rise, such as populist and nationalist sentiments, liberalism appears to be (at least partially) in retreat. The scope and the extent of this retreat seem to be beyond any specific border, but it has nonetheless become apparent that the United States must adjust to a reality in which global power is increasingly becoming multipolar. Value coalitions that reflect new ways of thinking about technology, the economy and the legitimacy of the governmental bodies domestically and internationally are necessary in order to preserve democratic ideals.

First, new technologies have become a major flashpoint. In illiberal countries, technology is a tool of surveillance and censorship, wielded by autocrats for control. In America, “AI” is outpacing regulation, and social media continues to sow division. This phenomenon includes accounts posting divisive content to become more viral and also includes bots submitting comments during Federal rule-making procedures to skew opinion. There is reason to believe that bots now account for a majority of internet traffic, which threatens transparency surrounding online interaction. The false pretense of inflated support behind an opinion that is, in fact, not popular erodes the public’s foundation of trust, thereby eroding liberal democracy itself.

To make online interaction healthier, the government must incentivize companies to regulate content and share their algorithms openly. While the United States has lagged in this respect, the EU has developed a strategy that makes digital technology more competitive and transparent. The EU’s Digital Service Act (DSA), for example, serves to regulate large platforms by making them share information regarding their algorithms. Similarly, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) works to ensure more competition and choice, so that no one platform is dominant. Both acts are part of a multi-pronged strategy to ensure fair use of the internet that allows for the freedom of exchange and expression. In this view, technology will remain transparent to prevent the proliferation of inflated, outsized opinions that threaten democratic values.

Similarly, as the use of technology has intensified, the nature of the economy and inequality has also shifted. More Western democracies have privatized or delegated parts of their welfare system while also deregulating businesses. Uncertainty about the horizons of labor driven by AI have coincided with growing wealth inequality. Although the incorporation of AI feels inevitable, it is questionable timing; the legitimacy of the government is being questioned, and questions grow about what the future of labor and government decisions will be.

This is also undoubtedly part of why populism has increased. As the state steps away from the role of redistribution and the private sectors fills in the gap, populist sentiment rises because of the value tradeoff between public sector equity and effectiveness in exchange for private sector efficiency. Here, restraint and patience will be key values, as the collective understanding of what AI can do has not been completely ascertained by society.

Uncertainty about the future of economy has decreased the legitimacy of governments worldwide. Increasingly this has resulted in new protest movements, such as the Yellow Vests Protests in France or the European farmers’ protests. In America, strikes have risen to their highest number in decades. However, instead of commiserating with activists and those sharing their viewpoints, protestors have been met with apathy by governments in the face of technocratic goals. Commentators explain that this behavior is the reason why there is a shift rightward. While the government’s ultimate goals are not necessarily harmful, they appear detached from the everyday lives of citizens.

It will be challenging for governments to balance the goals of expert policymakers with needs of citizens in the face of increasingly complex problems. However, a reorientation of societal values may help ease woes regarding more long-term problems, such as managing AI or addressing rising geopolitical tensions. Values held by a large portion of the population are either mismatched or antithetical to government’s values. Mending this divide will only occur when governments once again embrace sensible redistribution and sensible regulation. Until then, the populist and nationalist rise will not resolve. The incorporation of new values should be process-based and serve to bring the government closer to the public, while also distinguishing from those seeking to undermine those values. This is the current conundrum with democracy.

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Author: Zachary Curinga is currently a PhD student at Rutgers-Newark, School of Public Affairs and Administration, (SPAA). His research interests include nonprofit management, organizational change, public health nutrition, and disability equity. He can be contacted by email at [email protected]

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