Democracy is under attack. Rising populism, waning trust in democratic institutions and practices, and a period of unprecedented uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic have strained democratic institutions. On Monday, July 12, 2021, WACA hosted Jan-Werner Müller to discuss his new book, “Democracy Rules,” which suggests that we need to re-invigorate the intermediary institutions that have been deemed essential for democracy’s success: political parties and free media. WACA President and CEO Bill Clifford moderates the conversation. This program took place under the auspices of Wunderbar Together 2021, the World Affairs Councils of America, the American Council on Germany, and Atlantik-Brücke who partnered with World Affairs Councils across the country for a series of virtual events focused on challenges to democracy in Germany, Europe, and the U.S. The experts discuss the causes of this democratic malaise, analyze how serious these threats are, and examine what can be done to push back against those pressures – with a view to the exploration of how Europe and the U.S. can better collaborate on these issues.
