Discontent with Democracy

15 Dec 2022 Discontent with Democracy
By: Talal Abu Ghazaleh

In the words of Abraham Lincoln, the United States government, as the greatest democracy in the world, is ‘a government of the people, by the people for the people’. As a ruling system, there is no questioning the great benefits democracy has brought society, but in order for it to survive in the future, it must be reformed to continue serving people in a fair and equal manner.
In our modern age, democratic systems have become bureaucratic monoliths. This often dictates currying favor to secure votes by focusing on short-term goals to appease the electorate and to improve elected representatives’ chances to stay in power, rather than truly caring for the needs of the people. Therefore anti-establishment movements are becoming more widespread across the world, which brings into question how well our democracies are really functioning.
Anti-establishment movements have appeared across the world, challenging the norms and values of democratic institutions, and assessments of how  democratic functioning varies considerably across nations. According to an assessment done by Pew Research Center, most of those interviewed from nations across the globe believe that elections themselves bring little actual change and that politicians are corrupt and out of touch with the people’s needs, with courts being seen as not treating people fairly.
Dissatisfaction with democracy is primarily related to economic frustration, the status of individual rights as well as the perception that the political elite are corrupt and do not really care about the needs of the people, with such sentiment being higher in emerging nations than advanced economies. In emerging economies, those with higher levels of education and income are more dissatisfied with democracy than those with lower levels of education and income.
Populism seems to be taking over in many countries across the world as a reaction to democracy failures. This is not a clearly defined ideology and strives to appeal to the emotions of ordinary citizens who feel they are not being listened to and that their concerns are not being addressed. On the whole, populist movements consist of anti-elitist rhetoric, focusing on anti-establishment and anti-immigration themes. 
Right-wing populist politicians have taken power or have threatened to do so in many European countries, Brazil and the United States. According to Shawn Rosenberg, a professor of political science at the University of California, Irvine, “democracy is devouring itself, and it won’t last”. He also states that the right wing overall populist share of the popular vote in Europe has more than tripled from 4% in 1998 to approximately 13% in 2018. People are looking for representation which is not necessarily a democratic principle.
I would like to draw attention here to President Biden’s recent remark where he said the US faces difficult challenges with China, as the Chinese system is more flexible than US democracy. There is something to be said about authoritarian regimes that can implement decisions quickly. Now, I am not calling for a replacement of democracy with authoritarianism, but we can certainly learn some lessons from our Chinese friends. 
What is the future of democracy?
One thing is certain: democracies cannot continue as they presently stand. Our political systems must bring back the human factor into democratic rule and put people and their needs first. If they do not, they will have failed their citizens and the very basis for which democracy was established which is to serve the interests of the people.
If nothing is done, populism and discontent will increase and people will be very easily swayed by emotion, particularly in difficult times such as those we all experienced over the past two years. We need healthy democracies where people are well informed and where their welfare is given top priority.