[Session 2] Is Democracy in Crisis?

Session: Session 2
Date/Time: April 24, 2019 / 10:45-12:15

Moderator:
Gilbert Rozman, The Asan Forum

Speakers:
Ladan Boroumand, Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran
Chu Yun-han, Academia Sinica
Martin Fackler, Ichigo Asset Management
Karen E. House, Harvard Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Philip Stephens, Financial Times

Panel Description
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, many believed Western liberal democracy would last forever. Several decades have since passed and such belief now appears illusory. A series of recent events have challenged the resilience of liberal democracy. Authoritarian strongmen have successfully turned their fledgling democracies into populist regimes in Turkey, Russia, and the Philippines. Even in more mature democracies, the 2016 presidential election and Brexit heightened concerns about the rise of populism. Is liberal democracy in crisis? How can we avoid a democratic system becoming merely a set of electoral institutions without liberal values? How can we deal with the tyranny of the majority? Does social media increase political polarization or invigorate participatory democracy? Can other forms of democracy, such as deliberative or direct democracy, substitute for representative democracy?