Rocío Titiunik Publishes Commentary in "Science" with Brendan Nyhan

Oct. 18, 2024

Public opinion alone won’t save democracy

New research offers public-focused solutions, but elites and institutions cannot be ignored

Brendan Nyhan and Rocío Titiunik Authors Info & Affiliations

How can liberal democracies be prevented from descending into illiberalism and autocracy? Scholars hope to use the tools of science and technology not only to prevent democratic backsliding but also to strengthen support for democratic norms and practices. This issue of Science features three studies that provide important new insights and offer reason for optimism. On pages 291, 290, and 289 of this issue, Chu et al. (1), Voelkel et al. (2), and Tessler et al. (3), respectively, collectively depict a public that agrees on democratic principles, responds to interventions aimed at reducing partisan animosity, and values technology-aided deliberation. However, strategies that focus on public messaging and technological solutions face important limitations. Efforts to promote democracy and facilitate deliberation among the public, though promising, must be paired with institutions that encourage elites to respect democratic norms and practices, not undermine them.
 

Read the complete article here.

 


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