Global Democratic Crises: Commonalities and Challenges

The political crises currently experienced across Nepal, France, and the United States, while influenced by their unique national contexts, reveal shared challenges facing democracies worldwide.

Current Crises in Democracy

• Nepal: 
  • Weakly institutionalized democracy following the 2006 people's movement.
  • Challenges: Corruption, economic stagnation, and a sense among the youth of a stolen future.
• France: 
  • Governed largely by presidential decree with frequent violent protests.
  • Challenges: An unsustainable economic model.
• United States: 
  • Increasing political violence marked by the assassination of political figures.
  • Challenges: Near-civil war conditions and governance crisis.

Democratic Cycles and Historical Context

Historically, democracies undergo a cycle of expansion followed by exhaustion, approximately every 40 to 50 years. Past crises include:

• 1920s-1930s: Parliamentary government crises.
• 1960s-1970s: Cultural upheavals and reported crisis of democracy.

The Trilateral Commission's 1975 report highlighted internal democratic malaise due to excessive political mobilization, weakening of elite cohesion, and incompatible values leading to polarization.

Current Challenges

• Economic Polarization: 
  • Dual polarization exists between different economic visions of the Left and Right.
  • Challenges in building social coalitions for effective policies.
• Youth Disillusionment: 
  • Young people feel deprived of future prospects.
  • Generational politics remain unclear due to lack of cohesive youth consensus.
• Corruption: 
  • Persistent structural and transactional corruption.
  • Anti-corruption movements often lead to authoritarian outcomes.

War and Democracy

Historical wars, such as the Vietnam and Iraq wars, have undermined democratic authority. Contemporary conflicts like those in Gaza could deepen cynicism towards democracy.

The Path Forward

Despite the pervasive challenges, democracies have historically adapted and reinvented themselves. The current need is to channel shared anxieties into sustainable institutional solutions and economic policies that ensure work opportunities and mitigate zero-sum polarizations.

The challenge remains to move beyond protests and address these issues seriously to foster a durable democratic future.