Essay on The Crisis of Liberal Democracy in the 21st Century - 108 words

The Decoupling of Liberalism and Majoritarianism

The crisis of liberal democracy in the 21st century stems from a fundamental decoupling of liberalism and democracy. As Yascha Mounk argues, contemporary politics government is increasingly defined by illiberal democracy, where majoritarian impulses override the institutional safeguards designed to protect minority rights. This democratic backsliding reflects a global shift away from the post-Cold War optimism described by Francis Fukuyama. Instead of universal consolidation, we witness a resurgence of populist nationalism that weaponizes the ballot box to dismantle judicial independence and press freedom. Ultimately, this crisis reveals that procedural elections cannot sustain a liberal order without a deep-seated commitment to constitutional constraints.

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