[Asking Global Scholars] "Democracy in Crisis... Systems Must Be Designed by Region and Country"

Professor Joseph Colomer, Authority on Democracy Research
The Vicious Cycle of Anger and Fear in Democracy
Need to Strengthen Both Direct and Representative Democracy Simultaneously
Capable Government Needed to Meet Citizens' Expectations

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] "Many people say democracy is better than authoritarianism, but they are dissatisfied with how democracy actually works.

This is because each country faces limitations in properly addressing major globalization-related issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, immigration, international terrorism, digital communication, trade, and finance. Ultimately, unlike in the past, democratic countries have lost control over the current situation, leading to disappointments as they fail to meet the expectations of their citizens."

Professor Joseph Colomer

Joseph Colomer, a leading scholar of democracy and a political science professor at Georgetown University in the U.S., summarized the difficulties democracy faces in the era of globalization in a written New Year's interview with Asia Economy on the 4th. While everyone unanimously agrees that democracy as an institution or principle is right, doubts have grown regarding its actual operation and institutional efficiency.

For example, the response to COVID-19 is a representative case. Countries like China controlled COVID-19 using strong control measures, but advanced democracies such as the U.S. and Europe, which emphasize individual freedom, have experienced the worst crises despite resorting to drastic measures like lockdowns. In terms of quarantine effectiveness alone, it is difficult to avoid the criticism that authoritarianism is better than democracy.

However, Professor Colomer pointed out that it is premature to criticize the limitations of democracy solely based on the COVID-19 quarantine issue. He said, "Authoritarianism or dictatorship is maintained through control and repression and has a structure that can elicit passive consent or acquiescence from citizens by providing economic growth or public goods," but "it becomes vulnerable when facing economic crises, territorial disputes, or crises with foreign countries." In such crisis situations, democracy can peacefully change regimes through elections, but systems like China’s may face difficulties in changing. While unbearable crises for authoritarian governments can ultimately lead to greater crises such as political system collapse, democracy allows for more flexible approaches in crisis situations.

However, democracy is not free from instability threats either. Regarding the crisis of democracy, Professor Colomer explained in his book Democracy and Globalization: Anger, Fear, and Hope that citizens who have suffered from socio-economic changes develop feelings of "anger" toward politicians and legal orders that fail to meet their expectations, and these feelings eventually become political momentum for opposition forces. The incompetence of individual countries caused by globalization has led to public dissatisfaction with governments.

The ruling powers, unable to resolve these incompetence issues, respond by fostering "fear" of external threats. Such feelings of fear can alleviate anger or divert public attention. Ultimately, the "anger" over unmet political expectations and the "fear" cultivated to redirect that anger create a vicious cycle, placing the country in a "continuously unstable" situation.

Regarding overcoming the crisis of democracy, Professor Colomer urged, "Institutional structures should be established at various levels and scales to enhance efficiency in addressing public issues, thereby improving the efficiency of democracy at regional, national, and global levels." To solve the incompetence problems faced by democratic countries, democratic systems at various levels should be designed according to each response task.

For example, at the regional level, direct democracy should be strengthened, but for more complex national-level issues, the advantages of representative democracy should be emphasized. The system should be designed to strengthen direct democracy while allowing experts to responsibly manage state affairs based on principles.

Furthermore, to respond to issues like COVID-19, systems capable of solving global issues beyond the level of individual countries must be established. Representative democracy reflecting citizens' voices should be strengthened, while expert governance incorporating openness, transparency, and accountability should be harmonized.

▶ Who is Professor Joseph Colomer?

Joseph Colomer, a political science professor at Georgetown University, is a prolific scholar researching democracy and electoral systems. His book released this year, Democracy and Globalization: Anger, Fear, and Hope, was selected as the Financial Times Book of the Year. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Barcelona, Spain, in 1984 and has conducted research and teaching at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He has also advised on electoral systems and constitutional amendments in the U.S., European Union (EU), Spain, Estonia, Mexico, and Colombia. To date, he has published 26 books on democracy and electoral systems.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.