| ID | 108311 |
| Title Proper | Can democracy cope |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Runciman, David |
| Publication | 2011. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | The success story of democracy over the twentieth century has given way to doubts in the twenty-first, as democracies struggle to cope with difficult wars, mounting debts, climate change and the rise of China. This essay uses intellectual history to explain the link between long-term democratic success and short-term democratic failure. It distinguishes three distinct views of what can go wrong with democracy, and identifies the third (which I call 'the confidence trap', an idea that originates with Tocqueville) as the key to understanding our present predicament. Democratic success creates blind spots and a reluctance to tackle long-term problems. I use this idea to explain and put in context Fukuyama's claims about the end of history, and to examine the link between democratic failure and market failure. |
| `In' analytical Note | Political Quarterly Vol. 82, No. 4; Oct-Dec 2011: p536-545 |
| Journal Source | Political Quarterly Vol. 82, No. 4; Oct-Dec 2011: p536-545 |
| Key Words | Democracy ; End of History ; Markets ; Confidence ; War ; Crisis |