Cease-Fire in the Culture Wars
By Yascha Mounk, founder and editor in chief of Persuasion
JOAN WONG ILLUSTRATION FOR FOREIGN POLICY
To thrive, liberal democracies need to adopt policies that offer economic prosperity to more of their citizens. They need to embrace a more ambitious vision of diversity by promising all citizens—majority and minority—social respect and a place at the table. They need to fix their institutions, reinvigorate attachment to their founding ideals, and stand up to autocratic bullies.
It is a vast undertaking. Most countries do not seem close to taking on the challenge. The temptation to despair is strong. And so, as a first step, I’d like to propose something more modest: a cease-fire.
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About the author:
Yascha Mounk is a political scientist known for his work on the rise of populism and the crisis of liberal democracy. His third and most recent book, “The People vs Democracy: Why Our Freedom is In Danger and How to Save It,” has been translated into 10 languages and recognized as a “Best Book of 2018” by the Financial Times and other publications. Educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, and Harvard University, Mounk is a contributing editor at The Atlantic, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund, and host of The Good Fight podcast. He is also a frequent contributor to international newspapers and magazines including The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Foreign Affairs. He is a frequent keynote speaker at high-profile events like the Aspen Ideas Festival and a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Fluent in English, German, French and Italian, he provides commentary for leading radio and television programs around the world.
You can follow his work on Twitter or Facebook, subscribe to his podcast, or visit his personal website.