Democracy Rules

A much-anticipated guide to saving democracy, from one of our most essential political thinkers

Today, democracy appears to be the only game in town. No other system of governance attracts loyalty and support on such a large scale. And yet democracy is also in crisis, with the rise of illiberal leaders and political discontent across the West. If democracy is a game, we seem less and less sure what its rules and intended results are supposed to be.

In his previous book, What Is Populism?, Jan-Werner Müller offered an authoritative diagnosis of populist rulers and movements around the world and the threat they pose. It was hailed as "the most essential work to comprehend Trump's appeal" by The Washington Post and as "essential reading" by The Guardian. In Democracy Rules, Müller offers a blueprint for how democracies can survive and flourish, even in trying times. In a series of elegant essays, Müller shows that today's "democracy defense industry" is badly misguided-fears of the return of fascism and other totalitarian ideologies are exaggerated, the idea that we live in a "post-truth" era is wrong, and "polarization" is not a useful way to describe our political ills.

Instead, Müller sweeps away common myths in order to reconsider democracy's first principles, above all the "institutionalized uncertainty" that allows democracies to balance conflict and cooperation and function effectively without suppressing disagreement. The breakdown of the social contract between elites and other citizens poses a great challenge. So too does the transformation of political institutions and the media by technology. But that does not mean democracy is obsolete or impossible. Taking on many of the most difficult questions we face, Democracy Rules is a vital rethinking of what democracy can mean in an age of big data, curated news feeds, collapsing parties, and social alienation.