In his interview with Sean Illing, Fareed Zakaria makes a very important distinction between a democratic society and a liberal society. While the two very often coexist, they are not codependent. For example, Vladimir Putin is technically a democratically elected official, Putin’s Russia is not exactly the quintessence of a liberal society. Zakaria argues that the United States, a nation founded more on the ideal of liberty than democracy, is experiencing an increasing shift towards illiberality; a phenomenon that is threatening the democracy of the United States. One of the trends Zakaria points to is the erosion of what Tocqueville called “intermediary associations,” which are what Zakaria describes as “groups in between the government and the family that exist as arbiters and regulators of society.” These associations, which Tocqueville observed in US society and which are so crucial to a liberal democratic society, have become highly competitive businesses managed by entrepreneurs. This leaves no institutions to serve as the vital intermediaries between the family and the government, which in turn has given Congress much more free reign to do as they please, and leaves no one to look out for the long-term interests of society.
The distrust of the people in Congress observed by Foa and Mounk also display more disturbing signs regarding the strength of democracy. The article offers a glimpse into the minds of the citizens. They note that faith in Congress is at an all-time low, with numbers sitting in single-digits. They also observe that more people than ever are becoming warm to a system where a single strong president can make decisions without having to worry about Congress, which sounds more like a monarchy than a liberal democracy. The increased polarization and perceived ineffectiveness of the government is causing people to reexamine the merits of democracy, and begin to seek better alternatives.
While the readings of Linz, Zakaria, Foa and Mounk, and Yglesias might be scary and eye-opening, it is important to note that the United States is not exactly on the brink of collapse. The country is no doubt going through a trying and stressful time. However, it has been tested before, and it will be tested again. While people are becoming increasingly weary of the government, a majority of Americans still believe democracy is the best form of government. It is also critical to take into account the role the media plays in the polarization of society, as well as the over dramatization of the country’s current issues. As Zakaria notes, everyone is competing for eyeballs, and a little bit of over exaggeration often provides exactly that.
I agree with your statement about how the media plays a pivotal role in how the people view democracy and their leaders. It can be seen from this past election how the use of media and social network influenced the election and started the phenomena of “fake news”. It is interesting how the quest for “eyeballs” as Zakharia mentions has led to the extreme polarization of our political parties. Even so, as you mentioned, the polarization has led to people distrusting the government, which in my opinion, is much more detrimental to democracy, as the people make up the backbone to democracy. Is there a way to shift this mentality and to regain trust between not only the political parties but also between the people and the government?
Similarly to Jack, I agree that there has been an over dramatization of the so-called “collapse” of American liberal democracy. If anything, I think our country’s ideology is stronger than ever. Using the notion that the institutions of democracy stem from the cultural and social values of democracy, the simultaneous strong (and yet opposite) emotions regarding current President Trump and Democratic-Elect Hillary Clinton, have caused an increased interest in those very same social values, and, therefore, the institutions that arise from those changed social values. I would conjecture, then, that the 2020 Presidential election, as well as the legislative and gubernatorial elections before that, will produce a higher voter participation. In this way, the fundamental values of democracy, such as free speech without threat, open elections, etc. are being upheld even amidst the confusion and chaos resulting from the 2016 election.