Understanding Youth Perceptions Towards Authoritarianism

The views expressed are those of the author and do not represent the views of the SNF Agora Institute or Johns Hopkins University.

Authors: Scott Warren, Meryl Miner

It is perhaps cliche to note that across the world, democracy, as a global governance concept, is at risk. Authoritarianism is on the rise, as citizens across the world increasingly doubt that democracy can deliver economic prosperity, and autocrats develop new mechanisms to use democratic means to erode democracy itself. While various studies and researchers debate whether this democratic erosion is occurring at historically high rates, the future of democracy is a live question.

At this pivotal global inflection point, the role of young people in the future of democracy is front and center, and one which needs to be further explored and understood. Are young people uniquely positioned to engage on the front lines, pushing for new forms of democratic consolidation? Or are they so frustrated with the perception of their understanding of the false promises of democracy that they are inclined to turn towards more authoritarian types of rule? Are young people part of the democratic problem or part of a potential solution?

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