Breaking News: Distressed democracy: Is ‘Trump threat’ overrated in US politics? Experts debate and stand divided….See More

The deepening political divide, institutional distrust and economic anxieties raise pressing questions about whether American democracy is merely distressed or undergoing an irreversible transformation

Democracy, often celebrated as the pillar of modern governance, faces unprecedented challenges today, political scientists across the world issue this warning more than ever. While discussions on democracy’s struggles often revolve around developing nations, it is now the United States itself that finds its democratic system in distress. The latest election cycle has not only deepened political divisions but also raised fundamental questions about the trajectory of American democracy. This was the focus of a session titled “Distressed Democracy” at Firstpost’s IdeasPod, held as part of the annual Raisina Dialogue, organised by theObserver Research Foundation (ORF) in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs.

The session featured distinguished panelists: Jane Holl Lute, President and Chief Executive Officer of SICPA, United States of America, and Max Abrahms, Associate Professor of Political Science at Northeastern University, US. Moderated by Gautam Chikermane, Vice President of ORF, the discussion delved into the return of Donald Trump, the state of American political parties and the broader economic and ideological undercurrents fuelling today’s political scenario.

The return of Trump: A reflection of democracy in action?

Kicking off the discussion, Chikermane raised a crucial question: What does the return of Trump signify for American politics?

Lute responded by emphasising that Trump’s victory was not an anomaly but rather a reflection of the democratic system functioning as designed. “Well, I think you can at some level read it as, you know, democracy worked in the United States the way it was designed to do. He was elected with a majority of the vote, but not over 50 per cent of the vote. So 50 per cent of the United States voting public voted for this president, and roughly 50 per cent did not.”