Democracy in Our Time: Worth Defending? – Part 2

Recently, there has been a plethora of books and articles on the topic of democracy's demise. We find authors who point to a number of countries that are moving towards authoritarian rule (such as America, Hungary, Turkey and the Philippines), while others argue that, despite these exceptions, democracy is alive and well. In particular, Dr Vince Giuca will examine two important threats to democracy. First, populism, where (authoritarian) leaders claim to represent the people and their interests and, yet, introduce anti-pluralistic and anti-liberal measures. Second, digital technology, which is becoming all too pervasive in our lives and has significant implications for political power and civil liberties, and consequently, for democracy itself. Vince will introduce these ideas and ask questions about their ramifications for Australian democracy and whether we need to take action in defending and, perhaps, shoring up aspects of our body politic.