Seminar — The World’s Protracted and Deepening Democratic Recession, and How to Reverse It

Harvard community members are invited to join the Ash Center for a Democracy in Hard Places Initiative event featuring Larry Diamond, Mosbacher Senior Fellow of Global Democracy at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University.

During the seminar, Diamond will present statistical evidence showing that the world has been in a protracted and deepening recession of freedom and democracy since around 2006.  He will review the trends not only globally and regionally, but also in many of the most influential countries. Then, the discussion will turn to explain the causes of democratic recession in terms of three major factors: Power, Performance, and Legitimacy.  Finally, Diamond will offer some ideas about policies and initiatives that might reverse the downward trend of democracy.

Tarek Masoud, Ford Foundation Professor of Democracy and Governance, Harvard Kennedy School, will moderate.

Refreshments will be served.