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A Better Year for Democracy?

Although democratic norms and institutions have been under fire for years, those who still cherish open liberal societies have been mobilizing and fighting back with a renewed sense of solidarity. Still, it remains to be seen who ultimately will benefit most from the history-making developments of this year.

PS Quarterly regularly features a compilation of predictions from leading thinkers on a topic of global concern. In the inaugural issue, commentators responded to the following proposition about the future of democracy in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Europe's mobilization in response to it, the deepening Sino-American rivalry, and other major global developments:

“After years of apparent backsliding around the world, 2022 is shaping up to be a better year for open, democratic societies. Agree or disagree?”

Timothy Garton Ash

We are still not out of an unprecedented global pandemic. We have the largest war in Europe since 1945. The economic consequences of these two disasters are becoming apparent in sky-high levels of public and private debt, spiraling energy and food prices, soaring inflation, and the possibility of a simultaneous “recession trifecta” in Europe, China, and the United States. And we are supposed to be optimistic?

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