Imperfect Ideal (Essays on Liberal Democracy in the Real World)

With liberal democracy in crisis, nine experts examine democratic backsliding and offer opportunities for citizens to take action.

With liberal democracy in crisis around the world, nine contributors — all experts in their respective fields of political science, philosophy, law, cultural institutions, and diplomacy — explain the why and how we find ourselves in a state of democratic backsliding.

What are the intellectual origins of liberalism? Has liberal democracy ever been fully realized? Is it fear that is driving the democratic process into inertia? Are we as citizens simply less informed and educated on the importance of active participation? Or is it a case where we find ourselves like a frog in boiling water, not realizing how bad things are until we start to feel it personally?

This anthology provides a deep dive into some of the key systems and structures that define our liberal democracy and whether these can or should be strengthened to preserve it. The agency of the citizen will ultimately shine through as the vital organ that allows a liberal democracy — both the ideal and the practical — to function effectively and do what it’s supposed to do for the people who live within it.