A new report covering 154 countries over several decades finds that last year had the “highest level of democratic discontent” since 1995.
· The report marks the launch of Cambridge’s new Centre for the Future of Democracy, which will look at the “bigger picture to see how democracy could evolve”.
Dissatisfaction with democratic politics among citizens of developed* countries has increased from a third to half of all individuals over the last quarter of a century, according to the largest dataset ever created on global attitudes to democracy.
In fact, researchers found that across the planet – from Europe to Africa, as well as Asia, Australasia, both Americas and the Middle East – the share of individuals who say they are “dissatisfied” with democracy has jumped significantly since the mid-1990s: from 47.9% to 57.5%.
The research team, from the University of Cambridge’s new Centre for the Future of Democracy, say that the year 2019 “represents the highest level of democratic discontent on record”. Detailed stocktaking of global political sentiment began in 1995.
The report used a unique dataset of more than 4 million people. It combines over 25 international survey projects covering 154 countries between 1995 and 2020, with some dating back as far as 1973, and includes new cross-country surveys commissioned from polling firm YouGov.
The report, along with the new Centre, which will be based at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy, is launched at Clare College in Cambridge this evening.
“Across the globe, democracy is in a state of malaise,” said the report’s lead author Dr Roberto Foa, from Cambridge’s Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS). “We find that dissatisfaction with democracy has risen over time, and is reaching an all-time global high, in particular in developed countries.”
Professor David Runciman, host of acclaimed podcast Talking Politics and head of the new Centre, said: “We need to move beyond thinking about immediate crises in politics and take a longer view to identify possible trajectories for democracy around the world. This means distinguishing what is essential to democracy, what is contingent and what can be changed.