Whether the world from democracy turns away

Globalny populism lifting — not the sign of decline of democracy, and operation of the mechanism put in it

tell today to div many About democracy decline. Last year of the same name <=" _ blank" href = "http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/18/opinion/thomas-friedman-democracy-is-in-recession.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Fthomas-l-friedman%26action=click%26contentCollection=opinion%26region=stream%26module=stream_unit%26version=latest%26contentPlacement=80%26pgtype=collection%26_r=0"> article the columnist wrote to a target American newspaper"The New York Times" Fridman Thomas. Few months ago the journalist Financial Times Rakhman Gideon, the winner of an award of J. Orwell, stated: "At present around the world the democracy recedes". Earlier professor of University Georgetown Kapchan Charles <=" _ blank" href = "https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/1998-05-01/illiberal-illusions-restoring-democracys-good-name"> approved by a target on pages the Foreign Affairs magazine about inability of the democratic governments to satisfy requirements of the general public. In his opinion, it causes growth of national discontent and undermines legitimacy and efficiency of representative institutes. whether

Demand for democracy

So it? Short answer: no. According to indexes Freedom House and Polity IV, the number of democracies in the world at least does not fall every year: in the last decade this number was stabilized. About 60% of the countries can be considered today democratic. It is more, than ever before. Whether demand for democracy remains thus? At least hearings about a crisis of confidence in it are strongly exaggerated.

to be convinced of it, we will address to data of the World research of values ( World Values Survey ) which is conducted approximately time in five years. One of questions in it sounds so: how important for you to live in the country operated by a democratic way? The scale of answers varies from 1 to 10 (1 — "absolutely not very well"; 10 — is "extremely important"). If to compare the period of 2005-2009 to the period of 2010-2014, we can conclude that demand for democracy around the world by and large remains invariable. The share of those who noted importance of democratic management of points from 6 to 10, in 2005-2009 made 89%, and in 2010– ​ 2014 — 87%. It is less, but is only insignificant. In some countries the trust to democracy decreased, but approximately in so many — increased.

So from where there is a conviction in democracy decline?

Paraguay instead of Sweden

First, with growth of number of democracies falls their average level. According to the Polity IV index, about 60% of the countries of the world — democracies, however "the highest point" on all indicators of an index have a little more than 20%. Typical democracy today not Sweden, and Paraguay.

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Secondly, more and more not democratic modes declare itself as about democracies. Their shortcomings and failures discredit idea. Seeing how affairs in the authoritative states applying for that being called as democracies, that is in such boundary democracies are, people are confused in the concept.

For example, in the 2000th years of Polity estimated Argentina under the leadership of the president Kirshner Nestor as democracy, let and far from an ideal image. When World Values Survey in 2006 asked Argentinians a question, whether is election of the head of the country on free elections important line of democracy, 74% completely agreed with this statement. And in 2013 the percent of the completely agreed was reduced in Argentina to 47%. It happened after Kirshner Nestor presented as the successor the wife Fernandes Christina Kirshner Nestor. She was elected, however, according to other candidates, those elections were not honest.

Lawful mistrust

Thirdly, decline of democracy locates growth of number of populist movements: anti-elite in essence, they apply for representing interests of simple people (as a rule, from indigenous people). Populism is cyclic. At the end of the XIX century in presidents of United States of America Dzhennings William Brian who claimed stood that greedy bankers ruin farmers. In days of the Great depression Long Khyui, supporting planned to become the candidate for president that taxes which paid corporations, went to help the poor. In the middle of the XX century Uolles George, the known critic of establishment and the defender of a segregation four times. In 1992 and 1996 Ross Perot took part in elections — the businessman opposing trade with Mexico. Now — Donald Trump who assigns to Washington D.C. fault for all problems and promises simple solutions of these problems.

should be looked for Corney's

of populism in the democracy. Democratic institutes, such as the system of controls and counterbalances, impeachment, a response of elective officials, legalize mistrust to elite. According to the French historian and the political theorist Rozanvallon Pierre, "the legitimacy of the government based on results of elections, almost always goes hand in hand with mistrust to the authorities from citizens".

Yes, it is possible, populism and is dangerous, but its distribution not always means that in democracy there is a defect. It testifies to a disturbing gap between citizens and those who operates them. But populist rushes also are part of the mechanism by means of which the system adapts. And the true genius of democracy not that it always works well, and that it flexibly corrects the mistakes.

the Author — the expert Mezhdunarodnogo debatable Valdai club . The club was created in 2004, more than one thousand representatives of the world scientific community from 63 states took part in its work.

the Point of view of the authors which articles are published in the section "Opinions", can not coincide with opinion of edition.